


A Pinch Of Sugar

by Gravity_Flies



Series: A Pinch [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Age Difference, BillDip, Human bill, Humanized Bill, Like Blood But Nothing In Extreme Detail, M/M, Mild Gore, Okay Its Very Mild, Ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-24 08:58:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 32,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2575667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gravity_Flies/pseuds/Gravity_Flies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically the untold story of Soos' unzombifiction. (And much, MUCH more) Takes place between "Scary-oke" and "Into The Bunker".<br/>This Fic Has Two Endings, A Sad One And The "Official" One.<br/>Lots of BillDip, so if you don't like it, don't read.<br/>In this fanfic, Dipper is 12, and Bill has the body of an 18 year old. Rated T for swearing, very mild gore, and some disturbing lines.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sugar And Spice

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Doritos!  
> If you know me from IG or Fanfiction, welcome back!  
> If not, nice to meet you!  
> This is my first ever fanfiction i've ever posted, so let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas for improvement.  
> I ship too much stuff, so don't think just because BillDip is my OTP I won't write WenDip, Mabill, MerMabel, etc.  
> Anyway, you're not here to listen to me.  
> Get on with the story!

Dipper was sitting at the kitchen table with his great uncle Stan, watching his twin sister skip around the kitchen. "Cinnamon, LOTS of cinnamon." She chanted, scanning the counter until her eyes rested upon a small jar.  
Dipper gritted his teeth as she made a huge mess, emptying the whole jar into a big mixing bowl. Stan grunted, and, not wanting to deal with it, mumbled something about house repairs and was gone.  
"Dipper, have you seen the-" He cut her off, handing her another jar labeled "ghost pepper". "Thanks!" She chirped, pouring it's contents into the bowl too.  
"Mabel, is there anything you DON'T need for this?" She rolled her eyes in response.  
"It's your book, so it's YOUR recipe. I had nothing to do with it, I just assisted with the execution." She beamed at him as she stirred. "Quite expertly, if I do say so myself." But her happy attitude suddenly took a dark turn, too dark for Mabel.  
"What now?" Dipper asked, noting her grave expression.  
"I forgot the sugar." He exhaled loudly, blowing the cinnamon on the counter into the air.  
"Phew. I though we needed blood, or bones or something." Mabel seemed annoyed that he didn't take her sugar crisis seriously. She dropped the spoon back into the bowl.  
"We're all out of sugar, Dipper!" But her brother still wasn't worried.  
"I'll see if Stan knows if there's more somewhere." Dipper replied calmly, but Stan shooed him off, claiming he there was none.  
"Well?" She asked. He shook his head in response. "You keep an eye on Soos, and I'll go get some from the store, okay?" She broke into a classic Mabel grin, her teeth arched into a perfect smile.  
"You got it, Dipping Sauce!" And she ran off to go babysit their zombified friend. Stan reluctantly handed over a 5 dollar bill and gave him the thumbs-up. Now all he had to do was get to the store. (In the sweltering summer heat.)  
When Dipper finally made it into town, he was beyond sweating. It was almost as hot as when he was the assistant lifeguard, and not a single breeze had dared to disturb the relentless sun.  
A group of teenagers were walking down the edge of the street, a few kids were chasing each other down the sidewalk, and a few dozen cars honked at one another, stuck in traffic. It was always the same, whenever he went into town- except this time it felt almost... eerie.  
As if it was unknowingly acting as a hiding place for something far more sinister than just busy traffic and bad deals. Shaking off the irrational feeling of unsettlement, Dipper walked in to the nearest store for some sweet AC.  
He pushed open the shining glass doors and shuddered as the cold breeze him him. The clerk had his back turned, obviously busy. The store was empty, and the shelves were almost barren. The only way one could tell what the store sold was by a single poster on the wall of a tall man In an expensive-looking suit.  
"I'd say look around, but there isn't much to look at, is there, kid?" The man chuckled, and walked over to a shelf, where he started to peel off brightly-colored price stickers.  
"What's happening in here?" Dipper said, hating the emptiness in the store. The doors sealed the sound outside out, leaving the inside almost silent.  
Regret clouded his thoughts, along with a distant sense of recognition for the man.  
"Just moving in. The old owner here didn't clean up his store too well, as you can see..." The man continued to strip off the stickers, an obvious annoyance in his tone.  
"So..." Dipper started, feeling like an idiot. "You sell clothes?" The man carried the old stickers to a trash can, where he deposited them before moving to a box labeled "Jewelery Boxes".  
"Bingo! Yeah, mostly just the dressy stuff. Tuxedos, gowns, skirts... the usual sophisticated getup." Dipper nodded, suddenly self-conscious of his own sweaty, plain clothing.  
"So you seem a little young to be interested in buying a tux, but I won't judge. Store's closed though, so you're gonna have to wait a week until we set up... And by we, I mean me." Dipper felt his face go red with embarrassment.  
"W-wait... It's closed?" The man chuckled again. "Excited, aren't 'cha, kid?" Dipper looked down at his feet, afraid the man would turn around and see his bright-red face.  
"N-no... I mean- if it's closed... I'm sorry, I didn't see the sign..." He shuffled towards the door, but he felt a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder before he could reach it. He turned around, and there stood the tall figure, revealing his grinning face.  
The man kneeled down, levelling himself with Dipper, turning him around. The hand was clothed in a black glove, which led up to his bright yellow overcoat. He sported a bowtie and top hat, both of which complimented his black dress pants. His almost yellow hair was messy and covered one eye, but the intense gaze he bore made up for both.  
"Relax, kiddo, I'm pretty new around here, so it's nice getting to chat with actual people." He released the boy, and stood up, his face baring a toothy smile.  
Dipper was still embarrassed, but was happy to know the shopkeeper wasn't mad. He had made enough enemies in Gravity Falls, and he didn't want to make any more. "Sorry for barging in, though, I should've been more observant." Dipper silently cursed himself. He was supposed to be the smart guy!  
The man laughed loudly, and Dipper felt his hair stand on end. It gave him the creeps, he just didn't know why...  
"Did you not hear what I just said? I love it when people barge into my life!" He patted the kid on the head, then waltzed back over to the box, and began to empty out the several bubble-wrapped objects. "Even if, you know, it's just a kid who just happened to be breaking in to my store."  
A genuine, almost kind smile ran across his face. "Beats cleaning and unpacking alone all day. Adds a little excitement, you know?" The last few words he said quieter, his voice darkening. The strange man seemed friendly, but he had a enough strange feel to him to make the the overall experience downright creepy.  
"What's your name, kiddo?" Dipper was startled out of his thoughts. "Excuse me?" The man looked back at him, an unamused, sarcastic look plastered across his face.  
"A name, dipshit. Everyone has one." Dipper ignored the vulgar language and the unintentional pun. Then, for some reason, against everything he'd been taught as a child, he responded honestly.  
"Dipper."  
The man stopped unpacking, and slowly turned his head to look back at him. "Dipper?" He nodded. "Seriously." He nodded again. "Wow. I... I honestly do NOT know how to respond to that!" He laughed, except this one seemed more genuine, and less sarcastic than before.  
"Did you're parents hate you or something? I mean, I'm honestly quite surprised you haven't killed yourself or something yet... Wow, that was dark! Okay, okay, your name's UNIQUE, at the very least. Hey! Dipshit really does suit you then, doesn't it? Haha!"  
The laugh was creepier than the man himself. One minute, happy, the next- just plain creepy, not to mention annoying. And just when you want to back out, he pulls you back in with a charming smile. Dipper felt anger boil up inside him and was about to leave when the man slowed his laughing and coughed out what sounded like-  
"William."  
Dipper turned to face the man, his anger giving way to curiosity. "But you can call me Will, okay, Dip?"  
Dipper had chatted with Will for a good while before the man had brought up his troubles with cooking, and a bomb went off in Dipper's head. He had COMPLETELY forgotten all about Mabel and Soos!  
"Damn it!" He cursed, and Will stared at him blankly. "Well, I never said apple pie isn't good! I just can't make it. In my opinion, Susan at that Greasy's joint makes the best pie a man could ever-" Dipper shook his head.  
"That's not what I mean. I have to go get sugar from the store down the street." Will raised one eyebrow in suspicion. "Seriously? Why the sudden need for sweet stuff, shortie?" Dipper rolled his eyes for the millionth time that day. "I'm sweet enough, aren't I?" Will chuckled, but Dipper was already at the door.  
"My sister really likes to cook, and needs sugar. She has to finish a- a special dish for a contest tomorrow, and the sugar is, uh, really important." The lie was lame, but thankfully it was enough to get Will to back down.  
"Alrighty, Dip, nice to meet 'cha. See ya 'round!" He raised his bottle of water as if he was giving a toast, and then took a long sip as Dipper left the store.  
With a long sigh, he walked several stores over before coming up to a simple old grocery store. He felt inside his vest pocket and pulled out the 5$ he'd received earlier. After a minimal amount of searching, he found a small jar of sugar, and before he knew it he was walking back to the shack with sugar, some change and a strange feeling weighing him down.  
Thankfully, Soos was back to normal in no time. Mabel, who had force-fed him the concoction herself, was mostly unscathed. "Sorry, dude, your brains just seemed so delicious at the time!" Soos laughed apologetically. "But now..." He looked as if he was about to barf and ran towards the bathroom.  
Dipper smiled to himself and walked upstairs to his room. It was late, and he wanted to read a bit before bed. He only had a few hours, after all. "What took you so long anyway?" Stan called up the stairs, an odd mix of concern, suspicion and anger on his face.  
"The lineup was longer than usual!" He spat back, a little too harsh. Stan narrowed his eyes at him, but seemed to give up as he sighed. "Fair enough. Now fork over that change. Every nickel counts."  
Dipper ran down the stairs again and smacked the coins down into his palm before disappearing upstairs once more. He needed to process all that had happened, and laying in his bed with a good book seemed like the perfect way to just relax and think.


	2. Even Stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm finally back!  
> (And by finally, yes, I mean after a whole day without posting. Yeah.)  
> Just a quick update...  
> I'll be posting a new chapter for this fanfic every other day.  
> I'm also starting a new fanfic on the weekend.  
> -This fanfic will go even longer than this one  
> -Idk what it's schedule will be  
> -The chapters will be shorter though  
> If you have any ideas or requests for relationships/plots in that second fanfic, let me know!  
> Thanks!  
> -Fly

Dipper had woken up to the sound of springs grinding against wood. Squinting in the morning light, he realized it was just Mabel, jumping on her bed.

"Hey Dip! Did you get another one of those creepy nightmares?" 

He couldn't breathe. There were walls... Walls that reached towards the sky, never seeming to end. He felt himself grow woozy, and the room spun. The walls were closing in on him, an all too familiar laugh bouncing of of them, slowly getting louder... "Long time no see, Pine Tree." Of course, Dipper couldn't remember any of his past traumas. He'd only wake up to an empty feeling in his stomach, sweaty and screaming. Mabel would groggily walk over to him, comfort him for a while, and then she'd fall asleep on his bed. He'd sleep on her's for the night, not wanting to wake her, and Mabel would shake him awake, not remembering falling asleep, confused and dazed...

"No." He said simply, shaking his head. Mabel grinned ear to ear.

"Good. I didn't wake up in the middle of the night, appearantly, so I was worried I just slept through your terror!" As grim as that last word sounded, the silence was quickly filled with the humming and shuffling of feet on wood as she disappeared out the door.

Dipper sighed, relieved he'd actually slept through the night, and, more importantly, so had Mabel. Ever since he defeated Gideon, he was haunted by nightmares. He felt awful that nearly every night his sister felt the need to talk to and comfort him until he could calm down. The irony was how despite the fact she was trying to make him feel better, in the end it made him feel worse.

He got up, groaning from a sore back. Nobody ever said their summer home was comfortable. He was about to slip on his orange shirt, now stained with sweat from the day before, but remembered how sweaty it was. Smelling it, he decided it was definitely time for a wash. If he bumped into Will that day he didn't want to embarrass himself. Wait... What? Did he really care about what that stranger thought about him?

...Yea. He did. A lot. Why? When (and why) did Will suddenly become such an idol for him? Dipper thought about it, but came up empty. Hmm. He would wash it anyway. Mabel was ecstatic to see her brother had actually washed his clothes- even if it was actually just a single shirt, it had to be done. He wore that shirt every day, and he smelled worse than a pig! (of all people, she would know.)

The sister herself was wearing a new sweater of her own creation- It was bright blue, with a giant smiling sun made of golden felt embroidered on the front. The words "Fun In The Sun!" were sown on in the same golden color.

Her fuzzy fashion really seemed to mirror what was actually happening outside- The sun was beaming down even hotter than the day before, and it made her look like a walking weather forecast. Soos had pointed this out, and they both immediately decided that they would spend the day showing the tourists "The Wonderful Weather Of Gravity Falls!".

Stan was too caught up in a phone call to pay much attention to the two of them, and gave them permission to do... Whatever crazy, weird thing they were doing. That was all the motivation they needed. Off they went, running off who knows where to make more sweaters. Dipper himself decided he'd just have a quick bowl of cereal, and then he'd head into town for a bit. Pulling on his shoes and vest, he set foot into the sweltering heat.

After another long, agonizing walk into town, he made it to Will's still unnamed store, the sign of the old store barely visible through a fresh coat of dripping red paint.

...That was paint, right? The sound of a car horn woke him up. No wonder people thought he was boring, he LITERALLY found it interesting to watch paint dry! Or maybe he was just interested in other things. He didn't really care.

Pushing open the familiar glass doors, he spotted Will across the store, who quickly slammed the lid on a box closed.

"H-hey there, Dipping Dot!" He tried to cover up his obvious nervousness, but they both knew it hadn't worked.

"Okay Will, what's going on here?" The tall man flashed him a smile, his sharp-looking teeth practically sparkling in the warm lighting of the store. Was that? No.

"Oh, you know..." He kicked the box aside, brushing off his gloves. They were covered in... Dipper bolted to the doors. He tried to push them open, but they wouldn't budge. His pulse quickened.

"Whoa, whoa, I can explain!" Will said, yelling. He snapped his gloved fingers before picking up the box. Inside was a black suit, a white dress shirt and a bright red bolo tie.

"I couldn't find a red one..." He continued, thrusting the box into Dipper's hands. "So I, uh, had to make one myself. There you go. No refunds. Wait, it was free... Uh, just take it, okay?" Dipper was shocked. What could he have done to possibly get a free suit?

He ran his fingers along the soft fabric. Comfy, yet classy. It took his mind off of the man's nervous stuttering and the runny, red paint. It really was an amazing suit. He opened his mouth to politely refuse it, but was instantly cut off.

"Oh, and also, can you stick around and help me finish unpacking? Before you say no, just remember all the trouble I went through to get you that tie..." Will wiggled his gloves fingers in front of Dipper, who

didn't bother asking why he couldn't just take the gloves off. Sometimes it was better to just accept things and move on. Will's strangeness was something even he couldn't comprehend.

"I was going to anyway, you really don't need to give me this..." He noticed Will looked offended, and quickly corrected himself. "I- I like it, but... I didn't do anything to deserve-" He was hastily cut off.

"Then you WILL!" And with that, he was ushered to a stack of boxes, neatly each one stacked and labeled. "Let's begin, shall we, little Dipper?" Nothing too odd happened for a good while. Will and him bounced jokes and bad puns off of each other, although Dipper could tell the man didn't find him funny at all. His fake laugh echoed around the store, which made them both feel pretty awkward.

Eventually, Dipper decided it was about time he should leave. Mabel must be getting worried.

"Aw, leaving so soon, kiddo?" Dipper nodded his head.

"Gotta head home. Thanks for letting me hang out with you- and for the suit." Will grinned, obviously happy that Dipper liked it.

"No problem, Dip!" Dipper waved goodbye, and headed home.

The streets were busy with traffic. He watched the cars speed by as he walked, each one a different color... The complicated rythem of the cars on the road were... Almost... Hypnotizing...

"DIPPER!"

The shrill scream felt like a slap in the face. He had wondered right onto the street, in the middle of the speeding cars. He quickly retreated back to the sidewalk, panting. Looking around, he saw the source of the warning was Will himself. The man ran towards him, his face filled with concern.

"DIPPER! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Ouch. He was expecting more of an "I'm glad you're safe!" But Will wasn't that kind of person.

"I don't know." Was all he could manage, shocked he was still alive.

"That's it, I'm walking you home." Dipper opened his mouth to protest, but shut himself up when Will slung an arm around his shoulder, ushering him down the sidewalk. Okay. Maybe this wasn't so bad. It was only after they had reached the shack when Will finally let him go. Dipper tried to hide his obvious embarrassment. He was twelve! He could take care of himself! Will wouldn't hear any of it, though, and in the end he gave in. In a way, it was comforting to know someone's looking out for you.

"Thanks, Will." The shopkeeper smiled back at the boy, still a little shaken from what had almost happened to him.

"No problem. Thanks for the help. See ya 'round, Dip!" With that, he turned and walked away, not looking back.

Dipper himself walked back into the shack, where Mabel and Soos were still entertaining tourists with their "100% Accurate Weather Perdictions!" He tried to sneak past, but tripped over the carpet and was quickly helped up by his sister.

"Attention everyone! Meet Dipper! He's our sciency nerd boy!" The small crowd cheered, and he felt his face heat up.

"Mabel, I'm not in the mood, okay?" But her grip on his arm didn't falter.

"Uh-uh-uh. No way, bro bro. Not getting out of this one!" She winked at Soos and he lowered the lights. "You'd miss the great and powerful... RAINBOW!" As soon as she said that, Soos opened the curtains, light shining into the room and bouncing off of a giant prism.

"Where did you even get that?" He was surprised he hadn't seen it on the way in, but decided it wasn't important. He needed to get himself out of her crazy weather show before he embarasses himself.

"I may or may not have looked in your journal..." She said, trying to sound innocent. "Before you get mad, just know that it's back exactly where you left it! As for why you had left it, well, you have some explaining to do." Shoot. She had turned the tables on him. Not good. If Mabel's got the upper hand, it's never good.

"None of your business" he muttered, frustrated that he'd made such a stupid mistake. Sure, leave the journal on the middle of the bed, and walk away to hang out with a creepy shopkeeper you'd only met yesterday. What could go wrong? He shuddered. If Mabel found out, who knows what assumptions she'd make, and what rumors she'd spread. Mabel just giggled.

"Of course! Why would I ever pry into your private life?" She blurted, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. All of a sudden, there was a deafening crash, and light from outside poured in through a gaping hole in the wall. The group of people at Mabel's presentation fled, screaming and shouting.

What stood before them looked like a cross between a pegasus and a dragon. It's multicolored mane floated around it's head in the wind, which must've been created by it's crystal-clear wings. It had flashy, sea-green scales and stood at least 20 feet tall. He looked at Mabel, whose expression was stuck somewhere between fear and adoration. Soos had fled with the crowd, leaving the two to figure out what to do on their own. The beast let out a roar, shaking the ground beneath them.

"OKAY! OKAY! I MAY HAVE STOLEN THE PRISM FROM A NEST. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW IT BELONGED TO THIS THING!?" He grabbed her hand and ran with her to the attic. Slamming the door closed behind them, he raced to his journal. Flipping through the dirty pages, he stopped on one with a sketch of what looked like the prism Mabel had stolen.

"The elusive dragon-fly lays eggs in the shape of..." Dipper facepalmed. "Mabel, you stole the beast's BABY! That prism is AN EGG!" Mabel smiled sheepishly.

"Whoops..." A sudden crash downstairs sent a jolt down his spine. He raced down the stairs, leaving Mabel behind. If anything went wrong, he didn't want her to get hurt. What he saw next he couldn't explain. The "dragon-fly" snatched up the prism, and flew away, emitting high-pitched sounds of pain. There were dark red stains on the floor, and Dipper figured it'd be safe it say it was blood. The carpet was singed, the last sliver of fire just going out.

However, the most confusing was the shadowy cloaked figure standing in the middle of it all. A long knife rested in their hand.

"HEY!" Dipper yelled, but the figure was too quick. It swiftly ran out the gaping hole in the shack, knowing that even if the boy was slow, he was still hot on his trail. Eventually, it disappeared into the forest, leaving Dipper behind as he panted and coughed.

"Who are you?" He said to no one, knowing he'd never catch up. He turned around to see Mabel was right behind him.

"That was weird." She stated, letting him know he hadn't imagined it. He nodded in agreement.

"Very weird."

The two were quickly snapped back into reality when they heard Stan calling. Yelling would probably be a better word for it, actually.

"KIDS! COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh no." They groaned in perfect unison.

"Jinx!" Mabel called.

"Mabel!" Dipper rolled his eyes.

"Sorry. Not the time?" His sister shrugged.

"KIDS!" They heard Stan call again.

"COMING!" And off they went.

The twins ran towards the shack, prepared for whatever punismnent was to come.

"What happened? I demand answers!" Stan's stare bored into their souls. It was enough to make Dipper's hair stand on end. Mabel only looked down and kicked at the dirt.

"Well, Mabel found a prism in the woods... Don't ask." He said quickly, noticing that Stan was about to interrupt. "Appearantly the prism was actually an egg, and..."

"Oh. Enough said." Stan dismissed, inspecting the hole. "Well, none of us will be sleeping in here tonight..." Mabel gasped in excitement. Dipper often wondered what it was like to be such an optomist, and this was one of those times. Mabel made it look both tremendously fun and incredibly exhausting- He'd probably just stay the way he was. Sparkles made him sick, he'd rather die than wear neon, and all that happiness couldn't be healthy.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT. Does this mean..." Mabel's eyes widened to the size of golf balls.

"Yea, kid, go have a sleepover with those weirdos. The problem I can't get rid of is this outcast." Dipper furrowed his brows.

"Hey, I have a friend!" Even if that friend was a creepy man who he'd only seen twice. Still. Mabel had a sleepover with two girls the same night she met them. This had to be better than that. Mabel stifled a laugh.

"Oh yea? Who's that, you're shadow?" She blew a raspberry, dancing in a circle.

"N-no..." Well, he did talk to his shadow when he was feeling lonely... Yea. He never had too many friends. Going to Gravity Falls over the summer really gave him a chance to start fresh, and finally make friends. He hadn't really taken advantage of that.

"His name is... Will. I'll just go sleep over at his place! Nothing to worry about." Not wanting to be questioned on it, he quickly turned and walked away. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" It was only 5, but he wanted to get away from his sister as soon as possible. She was already suspicious that he'd done something, and that would only lead to her finding out the truth.

It was only when he was halfway to town when he realized the situation he had created for himself. He was going to ask if he could sleep over at a grown man's house, not even knowing if the answer would be yes. Not to mention that for all he knew, the man could be a serial killer, or... Nope, he wasn't gonna think about that. Not now.

What had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading!  
> Sorry about the blandness. I'm working on the italics.  
> Don't forget to leave suggestions and ideas!  
> (And leave a kudo?) /*-*)/  
> -Fly


	3. Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey doritos!  
> I posted my second fanfic, "There's Nowhere Else" yesterday, so if you have time please go check it out!  
> Also, if you ever see a paragraph that's completely italic, it's a dream.  
> Just to let you guys know.  
> Anyway, get on with the show!  
> -Fly

"Can you what?" Dipper had made it to Will's shop, where the man also lived. He was wondering why the upper floor wasn't open to the public, and this seemed like a fitting excuse.

"S-L-E-E-P-O-V-E-R." He reponded, hoping it didn't sound rude. "Sorry it's so short notice, but back at the shack there was a bit of an... _accident_." Will raised his eyebrow.

"What kind of accident?" The man sounded intrigued. Dipper smirked back at him, wanting to take advantage of his curiousity.

"Let me sleep over and I'll tell you everything." Will rolled his eye, but Dipper could've sworn he saw him smile.

"Deal." He held out his gloved hand, and Dipper shook it. A little odd, considering it was a pretty unformal confrontation, but he went with it.

The upper floor of Will's place was the most strange mix of antique and modern you could imagine. Chandileirs illuminated the contemporary hallway which led to a kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom and study.

"So I don't really have any guest rooms... Guess you'll be sleeping in my room, eh?" The man elbowed him in the side, a toothy grin plastered across his face. Dipper tried to ignore the fact that the man could've just led him to the couch. He wanted to see what his room looked like, and if it was too weird, he'd make an excuse and go for the sofa.

Will opened the bedroom door, allowing the kid in before quickly closing the door- a little too quickly at that. The room itself was just barely illuminated by an array of glow-in-the-dark shapes stuck to the ceiling. Looking closer, he noticed a few shapes in particular that set an alarm off in his head- A pine tree, a shooting star, and a question mark. He ignored the alarm, however, and tried to keep his cool.

"So this is your room?" He asked, trying to be polite. There were clothes scattered all over the floor, the walls were poorly painted and the floor was stained every color you could think of. His bedside table had an unfomfortably large amount of sharp objects layed out on it- a knife, some scissors, some thumb tacks...

"Don't mind that." The man quickly positioned himself between Dipper and his stash. "Just a little, uh... You know what? Nevermind. Yea, this is my... _bedroom_. Yeah." He stroked his chin, as if deep in thought. " _Bedroom... Bed-room_... What an odd word..." Okay then. this was officially getting a little too weird.

"So, is there a sleeping bag I should use, or should I just grab a blanket?" He was desperate to change the subject.

"The floor?" Will erupted into laughter. "Sure, sure. Still comfier than your bed at home, I bet." Dipper tried his best to not look annoyed. "Kid, this may just be a deal, but I'm a nice guy. Usually." Dipper couldn't believe his ears. "Here. Pull up a pillow." he watched as the man scooted into bed, neatly tucking himself in. The half closest to him was vacant.

"W-wait- Are you sure?" Dipper was unsure. He had only just met the guy, and now he was sleeping with him. (Jeez, there really isn't a good way to say that, is there?)

"Yeah! You can have the side with my little, uh, _collection_ there, so don't think I plan on killing you or anything." Obviously he was referencing the objects on the bedside table. Why did he have those anyway? Reluctantly, he climbed into bed with the man.

"Fine." He was instantly pinned down, Will's face staring down at him. He tried to scream, but his body wouldn't respond.

"Wonderful! Now it's time for you to fullfill your end of the bargain!" Will's teeth seemed to almost glow in the darkness, scaring the shit out of the boy beneath him.

"Oh... my... GOD! William, NEVER do that again." He struggled under the man, but his wrists were firmly held in place. "Please get off."

" _Ah-ah-ah_ , tell me what happened first." Will taunted him, leaning his face in closer. Dipper felt himself redden.

"Is this really neccesary?" He muttered under his breath, looking away.

"Yes. Now speak." The man responded, demanding answers. He wasn't supposed to hear that.

"Fine. My sister found a prism in the forest, but as it turns out, it was an egg." Will gasped in excitement. "In a nutshell, it's mom came looking for it and busted into the shack, leaving behind a beautiful new doorway." Will didn't seem to notice his sarcasm.

"Well, I wouldn't say beautiful. Watch out for burglars. I hear that old shack has quite a few... valuable artifacts." Dipper laughed, shaking his head.

"It was sarcasm."

"Oh."

The two relished in the sudden silence that followed, as neither of them had heard such a thing (that thing being nothing, of course) in a good while. It must've been a minute before Dipper faked a cough in attempt to snap Will back into reality.

"Oh yea. Sorry, kid." He released the boy's hands, which instantly flew under the covers.

"Let's just go to sleep." Dipper said, though it sounded like more of a suggestion than a statement.

"Oh yes, sleep! Let's!" The man quickly settled back into a sleeping position, and stared back at him. Dipper tried to ignore the man staring as he also settled in, facing away.

An hour passed, and Dipper remained sleepless.

He couldn't help but feel like he was being watched- but Will was so excited to sleep, he had to be out like a light. At the least, his eyes must be closed. He had to be paranoid.

Yeah. That was it.

It took him a good while, but he finally fell into a deep sleep.

_Mabel stood above him, clutching a long, silver dagger. "Mabel! What are you doing?" He was on the floor, held down by what looked like evil, twisted versions of Candy and Grenda. "DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" She threw the dagger at him, narrowly missing his heart and digging into his arm. He cried out in agony, watching as she retrived the blade and raised it over her head. "Mabel..." He said through choked sobs. "Mabel, don't!" He could only watch as she drove it right into his chest, peircing his heart._

Dipper woke up, screaming and sweaty. How could he have forgotten about such an important ordeal? Mabel wasn't there to calm him, and he'd woken up Will. Great. Just _great_.

"KID! Calm down!" The man sputtered. He was closer than he had been when Dipper had fallen asleep, just inches away. The thought of snuggling up against Will made the boy shudder. "What happened?"

"Night terror. Go back to sleep, I'll just stay up." Dipper waved him off, and sat up. His hands shook.

"W-wait. You get those? You're sure they're not just nightmares?" Will seemed concerned, and sat up right beside him.

"Do nightmares naturally occurr every night for months on end? No. Yes, I'm sure they're night terrors." Trying to act casual, he looked around at the room. "Got any good books?" He looked back at Will, who shook his head, face still pale.

"No, I don't read all that much. Mostly textbooks, maps, and... Whatever. It doesn't matter. You aren't staying up anyway. Go back to sleep. If it happens again, we'll stay up together, okay?" Dipper smiled up at him.

"Really?" The man nodded, sliding back under the covers. "O-okay." He too quickly found himself back under the blanket, slipping back into darkness.

_Pain. A pain so intense, he could hardly breathe. Mabel stared down at him, her expression fixed in a crazed smile. "Girls! Girls, we did it!" She said happily, earning high-fives from her two friends. "Good job Mabel!" Candy cheered. "Put him away, Grenda!" He was roughly shoved over, and he rolled a few feet before falling into a hole. He landed with a thud. "Bye bye, bro bro." The sound of a rusty shovel rung in his ears._

Ten minutes later, Will had finally found the chess set.

"Now I must warn you, I'm a chess master. Don't feel bad if you lose!" The man teased, opening the box and carefully removing the board.

" _Don't get too cocky, now..._ " Dipper said under his breath. "I may be younger, but that doesn't make you any wiser." The man snickered in response.

" _Sure, sure_. I bet you're omnipotent, too, is that it? **HA**!" The two picked their pawns (Dipper chose white, Will chose black) and they got started right away.

"You know, if my sister were here, she'd have stolen all the horses by now." He remarked, watching Will's gloved hand swiftly move his first pawn.

"Is that so? I'm more of a cat person myself." He waited as Dipper took his turn. "They're so _smart_ , and _friendly_ , and _adventurous_ , and _cute_... not to mention a perfect candidate for the internet's shenanigans." Dipper nodded, not really paying attention. " _Kinda like you, Dip_."

"What?" He hadn't heard anything up to that point.

"Nothin'." his opponant smirked, moving his next pawn. The mindless banter continued for the next hour, the chess match becoming more and more intense.

"Stalemate." Dipper remarked, surprised. "In all honestly, I thought I was beat." His friend seemed just as shocked, but quickly covered it up with an unimpressed sigh.

"Of course you'd think that. I told you I'm a master." He held his look of boredom for a few more seconds before cracking up, shaking his head. "Nah, nah, I'm kidding. You're not too shabby yourself, kid." Dipper tried to avoid his gaze, feeling himself blush.

"Thanks." He looked at the clock. "Well, it's already quarter-to-six. Should I go?" He silently hoped the man would ask him to stay longer. thankfully, his prayers were answered.

"Not yet, I want to chat a bit more. You seem to have a lot going on in that big head of yours." Will then sprung up from his seat, walking into the kitchen to pour them drinks. Dipper sat at a stool, playing with the radio until it played a quiet, classical melody.

"This good?" He asked, receiving a nod from the man. A warm coffee was thrust into his hands, nearly spilling on him.

"Careful, it's hot." Will joined him on his own stool, resting his feet on the counter. "So, tell me a bit about that sister of yours." Dipper bit his lip, tasting his own blood.

"Her name's Mabel. Technically we're twins, but we couldn't be more mentally different. Physically... Well, if I were to grow my hair out, we'd be identical." Will seemed entertained by the thought.

"Well, maybe you should let it grow." Dipper laughed, but quickly realized the man was dead serious. "I'm not kidding! I bet the girls would be all over you." Dipper laughed nervously. He liked Wendy, but he seriously doubted that would make her like him.

"No thanks. How do girls live with it? I mean, it gets everywhere! Mabel's always having trouble with it, and I swear there must be at _least_ a year's worth of gum stuck in there." Will threw back his head in laughter.

"Girls are the _real_ mysteries, Dippy." He remarked, taking a long, slow sip from his coffee. "I had a girlfriend once, and swear I will never understand why she left me." Dipper scooted his chair closer, curious.

"What was she like?" The man took a deep breath, setting down his coffee. He took his legs off the counter, and crossed them over his lap. He held his head in his hands, and began.

"Her name was Penny. A beauty she was, inside and out. She had brown hair, and sparkling blue eyes..." He trailed off, smiling to himself. An overwhelming feeling of jealousy washed over Dipper, but he couldn't place his finger on why.

"How did you guys meet?" He asked, doing his best to hide his discomfort.

"A... _friend_ introduced me to her. She was his close friend, and we got together at one of his... _parties_." He shook his head sadly. "It took her a while to warm up to me, but when she did, it was a wonderful relationship. We played chess, saw movies, went to the park, hunted..." Dipper cocked his head.

_"Hunted?"_

Will nodded happily. "Oh, yes. She knew how to point a gun, alright. Quite the prodigy. Anyway, that all ended one day when she heard a...  _rumor_ about me. She didn't believe me when I told her they were lies. Game over, just like that." He turned away sadly, going to pour himself another cup of coffee. When he turned around, Dipper could've sworn he saw the man smile.

Odd.

"Do you miss her?" Dipper prodded, wanting to know more.

"Not really. I mean, she was nice, but I never thought she would be the one, you know?" Dipper nodded in agreement, and looked at the clock again. It was already seven, and he needed to get home soon.

"I should really go now. Thanks for letting me stay over." He needed some air. His face was hot, and for some reason Will talking about his girlfriend made him want to leave as quickly as possible.

"No problem, kid. Thanks for trusting me with your stories." He waved goodbye, and Dipper shuffled over to the door.

Taking a deep breath, he left.

What a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Next chapter will be posted on November 11th!  
> See you guys then!  
> -Fly


	4. Mabel's Guide To Dating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I know i'm posting this a little earlier than usual, but I have a reason.  
> Tomorrow i'm extremely busy with school, clubs and birthday shopping so I'll be posting chapter 3 of "There's Nowhere Else" later today.  
> This is why I won't be posting tomorrow.  
> I'll be back on the thirteenth!  
> Get on with the show!  
> -Fly

 

He was only home five minutes, and Mabel was already drow ning  him in questions.

"Who is this  _ William _ ? Is he _hot_? _What_ does he like?  _Who_   does he like? Wait, is he _ single _ ?" She  progressively  grew more and more excited. Dipper ,  on the other hand, felt himself gr ow more and more...  posses s ive .

"He's my friend. Is he  hot ? Uh, I'm not going to answer that..." His face grew hot, and he could feel his sister staring at him. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. He likes games, especially chess, movies, uh... sleeping , and hunting. And yes, he's single, but I do  not  ** ever **  want to see you dating him . He's _way_ to old for you ." Dipper's disapproval of her being into him set her off.

"You're tot al ly  in love with him." That was the last straw.

" IN LOVE WITH HIM? ARE YOU SERIOUS? MABEL, WHAT THE  _ FUCK _  IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Of course, this  vulgar  outburst only made his sister laugh. She had no idea how weird  (but true) what she just said really was.

" _See?_ You won't let me date him because you like him. You can't even say if he's  hot without blushing! He's not too old for me, Dipper, is he?" She prodded, and Dipper tried to calm himself down before he said something he'd  really  regret.

"Mabel, he's..." He started, unsure of what reaction he'd get next. Was this really worth getting her off his back? "He's  _ eighteen _ ." Mabel's jaw dropped, and he immediately regre tted  his decision.

"You like  older guys ? I guess this shouldn't be a surprise to me, since Wendy is fifteen and all, but-" She stopped herself. "Wendy! She's a girl! Wait, Dipper... Are you _bisexual?"_ He shook his head.

"For the last time, Mabel, I am  not  into guys, and I am  _definitely_   not into Will!" He rose from his seat on the couch and marched to the washroom, locking the door behind him. How could his sister actually think-

"Oh, no. _No_ _ no no no no _ ." He walked over to the mirror. His face was red as a cherry, his hair slick with sweat, and...  Was that a  hickey !? " _No_ _ no no no no no no no _ _no_..." He pulled off his shirt, which revealed small cuts all over his chest. "What the actual  _ fuck _ ." He said to no one, putting his shirt back on.

"Dipper, what's going on in there?" His sister chuckled from outside. "Forgot about that  _hickey_   you got there?~" He tried not to scream. When could all of that had happened? He didn't have them before he went to Will's place... He'd slept in his clothing that day, so he never saw them in the morning.

"Go away." Was all he could muster,  just as  scared a s he was  curious. Did Will do this? It seemed like the only logical explanation. Despite the fact that he had literally been  cut  in his sleep, his relentless ...  _ attraction _  for the man didn't falter.

"I need more answers, Dip! You got together with an  adult ! That's crazy!" She seemed genuinely proud of him, and he decided maybe he could tell her the truth. He needed advice, and she was the perfect teacher.

"Coming." He unlocked the door and was immediately dragged into their room. Mabel bolted to her bed, pulling the covers over her head.

"Come on, Dip! It's the most private place in this shack!" He doubted that, as Soos had fixed the lock on the  bathroom door after the...  _Disco Girl_ inc i dent , but  knew  it wouldn't help anyone if he argued. He joined his sister under the covers, trying to get as much personal space as possible in the small  tent .

"Okay. I met him a few days back- That's why I took so long getting the sugar. I drop p ed  by his store in search of shade, and we talked for a bit. I visited him the next day, too... And then slept over that same night. In the morning we played chess, and we talked some more..." He trailed off, going on and on about Will's interests and life. "… He's also really good at making coffee." he added, earning an almost bored look from his sister.

"Yep. You defi ni tely  like him.   _Love_ _ love love , love  love love _ _!_ She chanted in a singsong voice, and Dipper knew she would tease him like  this for all eternity. "Anyway, I can help you bro  bro ! Mabel ' s the name, dating advice is my game!" She winked at him, and he knew she was telling the truth.

"You'll really help me?" He asked, although he knew she would be more than happy to. Heck, she'd probably pay  _him_   to give  help.

"Yes. Now, to Will's place!" Ah, there was her price. Of  course  she'd want to tag along.  " _ Gotta  meet that  _ _ boy  _ _of yours!~_ "

"Yeah, okay. He wanted to meet you, so this should be a good excuse." The twins notified their  grun k le  and left for town, debating if a relationship like that would even work.

"Remember, he's  eight een , so getting him to like you will be tricky... But you never know these days. Just make sure he's not some pedophilic  perv ." Dipper couldn't believe his ears. His sister was determined to get them together.

"Right." He said under his breath, nervous and sweating. He was really going to introduce his  sister to his crush .  He wasn't sure if he was more afraid of that, or introducing  _ Mabel _  to  _ Will _ .

"Here we are." The red paint was now dry, but it seemed more brown.  Probably just the lighting.  He told himself, but  the  voice in his head  said  otherwise. It didn't matter, though- he wasn't going to stop then and there. He was more tha n ready to see his friend again, even if it was to introduce his sister.

" Dipper!" The man greeted him cheerfully with a grin and a fist bump. "Who's this _lovely_ young lady?" His eyes widened with both surprise and...  was that  _envy_ ? He bent down, whispering in the boy's ear. _ "Is she  that Wendy you were talking about?" _

"No! Will, she's my sister!" Dipper replie d hastily, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. "My _twin_ sister, actually. I thought you would've easily seen that..." Will looked at Mabel, and then back at Dipper.

"Right, right." He stood back up, wiping his gloved hands off on his pants. "Nice to meet you... _Mabel?_ Am I saying that right?" She nodded at him, and she looked back at her brother. He could tell she was extremely uncomfortable.

"Yeah. That's me!" Her voice was shaky and tense. "It's  a me..." She waved her hands in the air,  im itating  jazz hands. "a M abel..." Her bad  Mario impersonation seemed to lighten the mood, however, and Will  seemed almost amused .

"Well, well, who want s some juice? Upstairs, kiddos!" Dipper smiled up at him, silently thanking him for breaking the awkward silence. The three raced upstairs, Mabel at the back  (as she didn't know where the kitchen was ) but just as eager.

"Thanks, Will." Dipper said before downing his cup in one breath.

"Yeah, thank you... Will." Mabel stared down at her cup, and reluctantly took a single sip.

"Aw, you guys are too kind. It's just juice, really. Thank me after lunch." Before they could ask, the twins were presented with a delicious sandw ich platter, a tub of  butterscotch  ice cream  and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. "Two part desert, one part lunch. I needed to spoil myself today, but what's better than that? Sp oiling yourself with a friend, that's what. Friend s , in this case!"

"You can't possibly be serious." Was all Dipper could say, already digging in.

"But I am!" The man replied with a grin, and gave the boy a soft  noogie .

"I'm not hungry." Mabel said politely  before  getting up from the table and walking into the hall.  Dipper immediately knew something was wrong. She  never  turned down sweets... Even if they were from a complete stranger.  ( Bottom line, she was  never  allowed to go outside  on her own until she was ten. )

"I'll go see what's up with her." He said, and Will nodded, a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah. Go see if she's okay." Dipper followed her, but she quickly hid herself in the bathroom, locking the door behind her. "Mabel, we can go now. I know you want to." She  spoke  from  the other side of the door :

"I'm sorry, Dip... I don't know why, but that guy gives me the creeps. I can't help you any more." She said, her voice holding a deep sadness. She opened the door, and he saw her eyes were red and puffy.

"Mabel, don't cry. You did your best. It’s okay." He let her hop on his back, and he carried her over to the kitchen. "Sorry, Will, Mabel ...  forgot something important. She has to leave." The man waved them off, not offended.

"Alright. Thanks for stopping by... Mabel." He said, and went back to eating.

"That was pretty ominous."

"Yeah. He can be creepy... But he's a really nice guy when he wants to be."

"Whatever yo u  say, bro  bro , but I'm  not  going back there."

"I'm not making you."

" _Good_."  The silence returned.

The two spent the rest of their day talking about Mabel 's  love life, which  (su r prisingly ) seemed even  less  successful than Dipper's. She was into, hot, dreamy, romantic guys... So Dipper was pretty useless when it came to  real advice .

"Maybe you should pursue one guy at a time, Mabel- Too many and you'll mix them up. There's nothing worse than trying to explain why you called... I don't know,  _ Mermando _ ... There's nothing worse than trying to explain why you called  Mermando _ Gideon _ ." His sister visibly shuddered at the thought.

"Right. I'll just wait for the right guy. No biggie." But he could tell by the tone in her voice it  _ was _  a biggie. How would she be able to wait that long? The perfect guy could be weeks, months, maybe even  _years_   away!

"Just do your best, okay?"

"' Mhmm ."

That night, Dipper couldn't stop thinking about Will. There was something so strange and mysterious about the man- It intrigue d  him. Not to mention the part of him he knew already... It was no mystery why he liked him so much.

The comforting thoughts  of his peculiar  crush  made Dipper quickly fall asleep.

_ Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. "Stay still!" Clink. Dirt fell on his face, and he knew it was all over. He was going to die at the hands of three overemotional girls. Was that really  how he would end? _

_ No. _

_ NO . _

_ NO! _

_ Suddenly, he felt his wounds heal. The dirt flew off of him, and the three girls were gone. Climbing out of his own grave, he saw something that made his heart race. Will stood beside the hole, smiling at him. _

_ "Is that better?" _

He woke up to Mabel shaking him, a giant grin on her face.

"Dipper! Dipper! You did it again! You didn't get a night terror!" He looked at his  pajamas . They looked clean as ever, not a single  bead  of sweat on them. He felt great, both mentally and physically. _How..._ __

"How is this possible?" He'd only  escaped  the terrors three times- first , when he took a nap on the bus to Gravity Falls, second, only yesterday, and third, right then. Almost as if... he was growing out of them. Could it be true? Could his nightly torture finally be dissipating ?

"I don't know, but I'm not complaining." Mabel beamed, skipping out of the room. "That crush of yours may be doing you some good, eh?" She yelled from the stairs, and Dipper prayed that Stan was a heavy sleeper.

"Shut up!" He called after her, but he was just as happy, if not,  _happier _ than her. Although sometimes the terrors were good excuses for his insecurity,something told him they were worth escaping. He would often sit alone, trying to recall one, but he never could.

_ Maybe tonight... I dreamt... _

This thought was comforting, that his mind could be at such a peaceful state it could... _ dream. _

_ Maybe I did... But what did I dream of? _

Thinking hard, he concentrated on the voice in his head. The voice that warned him about danger, that reminded him when he forgot, that kept him sane.  He felt something snap.

F̛o͝c͢u ̀͘s̴͏̵-̢͞ ̶͜

  
̧̀͢ F̧ơc ͏҉ u͟s ̕͘͞ ̡̡͡Ơ-͝ ͟

  
̧̛ Foc ͠͏ư͘͘s̕ ̵̧͢ O̴n ͝͠- ̨

  
F̵͘͝o̶̕cu̸͜͞ś̢ ҉ Ơn ̷ ͘M-̵ 

  
F̷̡̕ o̸c ̛͠͞u͘̕s ̡̀On̢̢ ͏M̶͘e͞͞.͡.̴̡.̛ ͠

͡ He̡ll̨o ̢?͏ ̶

  
H̢e͢ll ͜- 

  
Hell- 

  
Hell͞..͜.̡ H͘e'ĺl ͏.͝.. 

  
̡̛͟͝S̸̢͠T́O̸͞Ṕ͜.̶҉̸

Dipper felt woozy. That wasn't a dream. The voice... It had... _spoken to him?_ What was is  trying to tell him ? Was he  really going insane? Was he  _already_  insane? He felt the latter to be true.

Who could confirm it?   


Not a doctor... Someone who has experienced the supernatural first hand...

As much as he didn't want to go back there, he had to. And so, with

Scratches on his chest

Hickeys on his neck

And voices  in his  head

He left for Will's shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> If you have time, please leave a review!  
> See you guys later!  
> -Fly


	5. Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> If you read this chapter before it was updated, well, now it's updated.  
> I hope it's a little better now!  
> Enjoy!  
> -Fly

"Will, what did you do?" Dipper had just made it to Will's place, and he didn't waste any time. He wanted answers. _Will_ on the other hand, well...

"I'm not going to answer that." He responded, flipping the page on his magazine. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Dipper muttered, smacking the magazine out of his friend's hands. "What did you do to _ME?"_ Will pursed his lips.

"Oh. _That_."

"Yes, _that_."

"What part of that confuses you?" The man responded, snickering as Dipper grew even angrier. "I'm serious. Quite a few things happened behind your back, so I need to know what you know. I can't tell you anything you haven't found out already. It would ruin the... _surprise_." The fact that even more might've happened scared the boy.

"Well, first off..." He pulled his shirt off, gesturing at... his bare, completely healed chest.

"I don't see a problem. No, I didn't pull off any chest hairs, if that's what you're implying. You're just a kid, you know. Don't be too surprised." Will bent down to pick up his magazine, but it was quickly snatched away from him again.

"There-There were _scratches!_ They should've left _scars!_ How are they gone?" The man shrugged, and started playing with the cash register.

"Don't ask me. As I already said, I didn't do anything." The sounds of clinking coins echoed through the room as he shook the register, the small metal circles bouncing around in the metal machine.

"Fine. What about this?" He accused, pointing at where he thought the hickey was. He prayed that it was still there.

It wasn't, of course.

"Sorry kid. Hey, are you feeling alright? Seeing things?" The man cocked his head, momentarily pausing his game of annoy Dipper with the cash register.

Maybe he was going crazy.

Maybe his suspicions were right.

How could Will help him?

He didn't understand him.

Heck, he didn't even believe him.

**He ̸͞c͢a̸͘n̶͡'t̷͝ ̷̵h̵͝ę͘ĺp̴̴͏ ̧͏y͢o͜͠u̕͟.̧͏**

_Shut up. Shut up, stupid voice. Insanity is literally talking to me right now._

**T̸̸̛͠͠r̵̕͜҉u̴͜͠s̷͜͡t̸̢͢͡ ͞n̶̡̕̕ǫ̵͜ ̧̀͝͞o̸͝n̨͟͝͞e̢̧,͘ ̵́́͜͞b̶̢̢̛ò͘ỳ̶̡̢.̷͏͞.̴.̶̛͠**

He couldn’t make out the disoriented thoughts, but he wouldn't listen to them even if he could. The voice was just his insanity talking to him, and the last thing he needed was to be wrapped up in a straightjacket.

**When̴ ̵you s̵ee t͠h̛e t͡r͟u̧th̵, y̕ou̴'̛ll͝ ̡wi͟s̸h͝ ́ýo͞u'd j̷ust c͜hosen ͞th̴ȩ s͜traig̛h͡t́jack̷e̴t...**

"What about voices. Have you had any voices in your head?" He prodded, annoyed at the voice's persistence. Will's eyes (or _eye,_ the other was hidden under his hair) widened to the size of a golf ball.

"Upstairs. Now." He demanded, reminding him of when Stan saved him and Mabel from the zombies. It was hard to believe that it had only been about four days since then... his thoughts distracted him to such an extent he nearly screamed when he felt the man's gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I hear voices all the time, boy." He was pushed onto the couch, and was quickly joined by his friend. "They're easy to live with, as time goes by... But to think they got to you so early in your life is crazy..." His face went ghost white. _"Oh my god."_

"What. What did you do?" Despite the circumstances, he laughed. "This really has come full circle, hasn't it?" The man stayed as still as a statue.

_Okay. Not the time to joke around._

"It's... Nothing." The man forced a laugh, pushing him over. "Ha! You should've seen the... Look on your face... Ha..." It was obvious that he was holding back precious information, but Dipper decided he'd let him off the hook for a bit. Whatever happened seemed to be traumatizing him, and he wasn't in the mood to be scarred for life.

"Oh. Okay. Uh... Do you want me to help you run the shop for a bit? I'd even clean the floors!" Will shook his head, his smile returning but face staying just as pale.

"Nah. It's about time I had lunch, anyway. Wanna head over to Greasy's for some apple pie?" Dipper smiled back, recalling the first time they met.

_"Well, I never said apple pie isn't good! I just can't make it. In my opinion, Susan at that Greasy's joint makes the best pie a man could ever-"_

_"That's not what I mean."_

"Yeah. Let's go get some pie." He jumped up from the couch, running to the stairs. "Race you!"

"Last one there gets the smaller slice!" The man added in a singsong voice, chasing him out the door.

**=-[TIME SKIP]=-**

The diner was nearly empty by the time they got there. The only occupants were an old man, a young couple- and Lazy Susan herself.

"Oh, hello there William!" The waitress greeted the man, beaming with a lopsided grin. "And you! Aw, you were in the newspaper, weren't you?" She reached down to pat the shorter boy on the head, and set them up at a table by the windows.

"She knows you?" Dipper questioned, looking out the window absent-mindedly.

"I told you, I can't get enough of her pie! I come here almost daily, Dip, _of course_ she knows my name!" He kicked his legs up to rest on the table, just like he did back at his house.

"Food!" Lazy Susan announced, sliding two plates of apple pie right in front of them. Will dropped some money in her hand and waved goodbye, digging into his food immediately.

"She always assumes I want the apple pie." He explained between greedy bites. "And, of course, she's always right."

Dipper took a cautious bite and almost burnt the top of his mouth. He had to admit, however- it _was_ delicious. He licked his lips, savouring the taste. He felt his eyes flutter shut, and when he opened them the man was staring.

"What?" He asked, feeling his face heat up.

"Nothing." Will sputtered, quickly averting his eyes. Dipper knew that something was up, but it seemed a lot less scary than the conversation back at the shop. So, once again, he decided to let it go.

The friends talked about their lives- Dipper's mostly revolved around the supernatural, of course, and Will's was an odd mix of regular and... strange. A _strange_ kind of strange.

"So six girls walked into the shop..." Will started, still recovering from the laugh attack he had from Dipper's own story. He talked with such enthusiasm it was almost as if he was retelling the best story of his life. His gestures were big and extravagant, his face filled with joy.

"So she asked me about that other dress, and I had to tell her the exact same thing as I told the last five girls! I've never been so bored." The man laughed as he finished his story.

"Sounds like mental torture." Dipper commented, finishing off his pie. He saw the other visibly flinch at the mention of such a thing. "Sorry."

"No, no, I should explain. It really wouldn't be fair to keep it a secret from you." He sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "After all, you're going to have to live with it as long as I do... _Unless..."_

"Live with what?" He felt his insides turn. He fought to keep his food down. "The voices, right? The voices aren't leaving, are they?" Will shook his head sadly.

"Even if they do, they'll have a reason to, and you wouldn't like any of the reasons." Dipper felt tears collect in his eyes, but blinked them back. He would face the truth, and he would take it.

"Tell me the reasons." He commanded, prepared for the horrors he would hear. The man placed his hand out on the table, palm faced up.

" _Take it_." The boy held his hand, and was instantly pulled out of his chair. He was dragged out of the diner and sat down on the grass, and he knew it was just for privacy.

... _Right?_

"Dipper, you have to make a decision." Will stated, sitting himself down right beside him. _Very_ close. "The voices will drive you mad. They'll drive you mad, and I would know." The man looked up at the sky, his top hat falling to the ground. "I'm already starting to go insane."

The boy nodded, slightly afraid. He'd never seen the man this distraught. "What are my choices?"

"Visit me daily. You keep my last slivers of sanity intact, and I'll guide you until I die, or until you hit my stage of insanity. The best part is we both benefit, and maybe we can even recover- or at least improve our conditions." His friend said quietly, still looking at the clouds as if he could see their future hidden among them.

"Out of curiosity, what's the other option?" He liked option one, but it had it's... _Flaws._

"You stay away from me, and recover... Maybe even completely. The voices will leave you alone, but they'll always be there to guide you, just in case you get too close to me." Dipper could hear the deep sadness in his voice.

"Well... What about you? What happens to you?" He knew the answer, but he needed to know this wasn't a dream. This was real, not another terror.

Although it felt quite a bit like one.

The man tensed. "I..." Small lines of tears ran down his face. He picked up his top hat, and put it back on. Adjusted it. Adjusted it again.

"I'll spiral into complete insanity. I'd be put in a straight jacket in about a year. Maybe less."

This was real.

The voices were real.

His friend... was _real_.

He couldn't let him down.

"I'll stay with you. I won't go." The boy said, trying to look brave. Will looked down at him, true surprise painted on his face.

"You know what you'd be committing to, right?" He asked, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Yes." He knew, and he was more afraid than he'd ever been before.

"You... You'd go..." His friend stuttered. He wore his pity like a cloak.

"Bonkers. Yep." Please let this conversation end soon.

"And if my theory is incorrect..." Dipper knew what would happen.

"I'll go _completely_ bonkers. I know." He said, letting his own tears flow freely.

Suddenly, the man leaned in, hugging him close. "Kid, you're literally a life saver." Dipper felt his face flush, and hugged him back.

"I'd still like an explanation for the other things." Will pulled out of the hug, letting the kid fall flat on his face. "You know, the scratches, the hickeys..." He listed, pulling himself up.

"Okay, okay. You know those terrors?" Dipper nodded, trying to calm his blushing face. "Well, the voices must've... _rubbed on_. Overnight."

_Oh._

"We spent hours together that day. The perfect time for you to catch the voices." The man face palmed, groaning. "How could I've been so stupid? Anyway, Dip, that's not a hickey. Those are where the voices got in." He said dismissively, playing with his collar.

Dipper smirked. "You sure?" His friend scowled.

"Fine. Do you ever sleepwalk? No? Well, you will. The voices... make the dreams _real._ "

_Oh **GOD.**_

The cuts.

He had a terror... with knives.

And... _making out?_ Why the hickey?

"Wait, wait, so you get the same thing? Like, if you were cut in a dream..." Dipper trailed off.

"Oh yea. The effects go away after a bit though-" Realization struck him in the face. " _Ooooh_."

"Yea. You thought I lied about the cuts? AND A HICKEY?"

The friends bursted into laughter, and got up to walk back to the shop.

"Okay, okay. I _may or may not_ have had a dream... And I _may or may not_ have given someone a hickey." Will admitted, embarrassed.

"Better not have been me." Dipper said, both disgusted and oddly pleased by the thought.

"Eh, I don't remember any more of my dreams than you do, kiddo." He said, waving him off. "I mean, it was probably Penny-"

"Yeah, _right!"_ Dipper said, poking fun at the man. He saw the fire in his eyes, but wasn't bothered by it. They were going to be seeing each other a lot... And heck, maybe one day they could even...

Get together?

It was worth a shot.

It was a long shot, but it was a shot.

"Last one across the road gets the smallest cookies!" Will yelled, and Dipper chuckled at how odd it sounded.

"It's on!"

 

 

Will got there first.

 

 

He still let Dipper have the biggest cookies.


	6. Too Much Information

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOA!  
> A LONGER CHAPTER!  
> Yeah, It's exactly 2604 words long, I felt bad for the rushed chapters I've been posting lately.  
> ANYWAY!  
> This was very frustration to write. I tried to make it as easy to understand as possible, but it was hard.  
> If you're confused, don't be afraid to ask me for a little explanation. I'd be happy to explain from an easier point of view!  
> I hope you guys like it!  
> See you guys at the end of the chapter...  
> -Fly

The cookies were delicious.

"Where did you even get thes e?" Dipper asked between bites.

"Made 'em. Good, right?" Will asked hopefully, flashing his teeth  at the boy. There were bits of cookie all over them.

"Yeah, actually, they are! You sure you made them?" It took a few seconds for the man to understand.

"Wow, _ Thanks _ . You know, just because I bring chaos and insanity into others' lives doesn't mean I can't do some good around here! Geez, kid." He said, obviously  not getting the  joke.

Dipper decided it wasn't worth explaining. "So, what else is happening in your life? Besides sewing, hunting, cooking..."

"Not much. Before I moved here, my life was pretty average." He insisted, finishing off his last cookie.

"But w hat about the voices?"

"Eh, I always had them, so they weren't that hard to live with.  They got stronger whenever I was in danger, though, so when I moved  to  this shady  town... Well, it's not a mystery why they got worse."  Dipper nodded in agreement.

"What's the worst thing that you ever woke up to? Considering the... voices... and the... things that happen when we dream ..." Will threw back his head and laughed, nearly scaring Dipper off his stool.

"Oh  man, you're in for a hell of a ride, kid. You have no idea how many times I fell asleep at school... All those lectures get to you!  Oh, I shouldn’t even  mention  parties... let's just say that the results weren't pretty." His broad shoulders shook as he tried to calm his cackling. "One of the most horrifying  times was back at Penny's sweet sixteen... We fell asleep on the couch, and I woke up on the lawn. When I asked her what happened..."

Dipper was on the edge of his seat, both excited to hear of his misfortune and scared shitless that  even  worse thin gs  could happen to him.

"Well, she said that we had to talk. She sat me down, and asked me why I was naked... Lying  on top of another sleeping girl." He noticed Dipper's shock. "Yea, drinks were drank, people passed out. Don't look so surprised. Anyway, I didn't know what had happened , so I said just that." He stopped, waltzing over to the fridge.

"What happened?"

"I'm getting to it. Let me think. Ah, yes,  Kevin . Kevin was that girl's boyfriend, so he had carried me outside. He beat me up a little, then left me on the grass in hopes of embarrassing me. I woke up a bit  later, aching from the wounds and the cold. they didn't believe me when I said I had no idea how I was naked, let alone why I was by that other girl."

He bit his lip.  "I really shouldn't have told you that story."

Dipper grinned, holding back laughter. "So you dreamed of...  OH MY  GOD , are you  serious ?"

Will hid his face in his hands as Dipper went hysterical. "Yeah. Uh, that was one of the few times I must've dreamt something... good." At the realization of what he'd just said, he shrunk down even further. " Oh my god, I really need to shut up. "

Dipper was on the floor at this point, unable to stop his laughing. "Wow. Really, just... O h god, okay, I think I'm good." He stammered, getting back up on the stool.

"Fuck you."

"No, I doubt it was me." He said slyly, earning a hard (but playful)  slap to the face.

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

"Why were you out so long?" Mabel asked, cornering him in their room. Her grappling hook was pointed straight at his face.

"We just needed to talk, Mabel, calm down!" She lowered the hook reluctantly, eying him down.

"Fine." She gave in, tossing her weapon over her shoulder. It landed gracefully on her bed, just missing Waddles.  "What did you creeps  talk  about ?" She urged him towards her bed, sitting down and patting an empty spot beside her .

"Guy stuff." He said, not wanting to tell her about the voices.  He sat down with her, the sudden movement waking  her sleeping pig.

"Oh, come on bro  bro ! You can tell me anything!" She insisted, resting her head on his shoulder. If she looked any more innocent, she'd have grown wings and flew to heaven.

"Well, I learned why I should never fall  asleep at drinking parties." He summarized, and Waddles trotted over to sit on his lap. "Hey there, Waddles."

The pig grunted at him, just as dissatisfied as his caretaker. Mabel groaned. "I know, right?" She responded to him, stroking his pink skin. "Dipper, we need more details! Details, details, details!"

Dipper avoided her eyes as he lied. "Sports. The journal. Yeah, he's seen weird stuff too. Food. We went to get pie at  Greasy' s ." She stroked her chin.

"Well, I'll believe you, but that thing about the pie seems a little far-fetched..." She bit her lip, debating whet her  or not she should  stop her interrogation. "Alright then. Go g et some sleep."

Dipper nodded, rolling Waddles off his lap and sitting down  on his bed. His head hadn' t even touched the pillow when  he heard his name being called from downstairs.

"DIPPER! GET DOWN HERE!" Stan. He scowled, trudging slowly  downstairs. He felt Mabel's sympathetic gaze  as he went to help Stan with... Whatever it was he needed help with.

Luckily, he didn't need help at all.

"You got mail, kiddo. Parents missed ya , so they sent you little  gremlins  presents ." He said with what looked like a smile. Before Dipper could say anything  two packages were shoved into  his hands. Envelopes were neatly taped to them, one addressed to him and the other to Mabel.

"Wow, uh... Thanks!" He beamed , running back upstairs to tell Mabel the good news.

" _Poor kids_. " Stan said under his breath, Dipper too far away to hear.

"Mabel! Mabel, we have mail!" He said enthusiastically, throwing open the door.

She bolted upright from her bed,  face fixed in an excited smile.  "Really? Is it from-"

"Mom and Dad, yeah! The finally wrote back!" He tossed her package at her, and happy  tears filled his sister's  eyes.

"Wow, I thought... I thought they..." She sniffled, ripping open the envelope.

"Forgot us?" He asked, and she nodded sadly. "They'd never leave us hanging, Mabel, you know that! "

He opened his own envelope, pulling out a postcard. The photo on the first side was stunning- Palm trees were dotted across a beach, and waves crashed across yellow sand. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. He looked over at Mabel, who was reading the other side of hers. Her picture was of two palm trees, a  hammock tied between  them. The same cloudless sky was now a bright pink , and the  sun was setting in the distance, staining the sand orange.

"Florida. They went to Florida." Mabel said, her emotion unreadable. Dipper flipped his own card over, wanting to see for himself.  The card read:

 

_ To our little Dipper... _

_ We're sorry that we haven't written to you yet! Our summer has been packed with fun, and we never found the time! Florida is beautiful, don't you think?  Don't worry, we haven't forgotten you guys!  Enclosed in the package is a little something from our travel s.  We l ove you to bits! _

_ Love Mom and Dad _

_ P.S: How has Stan been treating you? Has he been putting you to work? Don't forget to make some friends! _

 

Dipper was beyond shocked. "Wow... They actually went to Florida without us." Mab el nodded, her face blank. She quickly and quietly opened her package,  pulling  out a bright yellow shirt. The only thing on it was the logo of some resort their parents had probably visited. Dipper opened his, and  sure enough, there was the same t-shirt. The only thing different about it was it was bright red in  color , and slightly bigger.

"Wow. Have they _really_ forgotten?" Mabel said, her voice lined  with anger and frustration. "I wear sweaters. Sweaters, sweaters, sweaters! Some days, I don't even wear a shirt underneath." She held the shirt up to her chest, showing how big it really was. "I couldn 't even wear this if I wanted to . It's six sizes too big."

Dipper felt more sad than angry, really. He'd sent them countless letters asking for help, for comfort, for some sense of a loving  family... But he'd gotten nothing. He'd sent them pictures of the weird things they'd seen, and they didn't even go so far as to  mention  them.

_ Oh yea. They're on vacation. _

**_ Duh. _ **

" They haven't read any of our letters, Mabel." He said through gritted teeth. "They never got a chance to even see them. All summer they've just been on vacation."

Mabel shook her head,  rage giving way to misery. "N-no... They sent us away to get some fresh air..." Her eyes widened in realization.  "...and yet all summer they've been outside, at the beach, at the park, at the..." Mabel stopped herself, burying her face in the shirt. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed into it. "They just wanted to get rid of us, d-didn't they?"

Dipper walked back over to her, and held her hand as she cried. They really had just wanted to get rid of them. It was only f or a summer, sure , but they had never done  something like that before. The weight of this betrayal absolutely crushed them. "Let's go get something to eat." He said, pulling his sister up.

"Ice cream." She demanded, sloppily wiping her tears away on her sleeve .

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

Mabel had finally fallen asleep. It was ten at night , and the twins had been pigging out for hours. Dipper  decided that he'd let her have another sleepover the night day-she needed one. Nervous, he let his own eyes shut He  knew  that if he had a terror, there'd be quite the surprise in the morning.

Oh, he knew.

But he slept  anyway.

_ "Will? What'r e you doing here?" Dipper asked, surprised by the man's presence. _

_ "Helping, of course." He said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Dipper felt a poke in the back and turned around, curious. The man was there, smiling in his face. The boy turned around, confused, but his friend  was no longer there. _

_ "How'd you do that?" He asked, frightened. The world faded to a blinding white, and he was forced to close his eyes. When he dared to open them again, he was at a beach. It looked just like the one on his postcard. _

_ "Do what~?" The voice echoed around him, and he spotted the man sitting by the waves, watching the water move. _

_ Dipper walked over to him, and sat down right beside him. "What's going on? How did we get here?" Will laughed at his confusion. _

_ "You're dreaming. I saved you from that terror of your s... You're welcome." The man turned his head to look at him, and wrapped an arm around his neck. "Walk with me." The duo got up and started to walk down the beach. _

_ "Explain." Dipper demanded, and the man nodded. _

_ "I see you're hungry for answers. Well, after living with these dreams my whole life, I trained my voices to recall them. It took me a while, but I eventually found out how to control them." He paused, stopping the boy in his tracks. _

_ "What?" _

_ "Look at that!" Will exclaimed, pointing at the water. _

_ Dipper didn’t see anything.  "What?" _

_ "A disturbance." He whispered, and he saw it- a hole has starting to form in the water. _

_ "What's a disturbance?" He said, fear building up in his chest as the hole got bigger. _

_ "They'll help you remember. Look, I'd love to explain why, but you're due to wake up soon, so let me finish my story." He adjusted his hat. "As I was saying, At about seventeen I could tell when I was dreaming. The odd time I don't remember, but that's rare. Since I could tell, I could control my dreams." He finished, proudly smiling at him. "Well, see you soon! Very soon, if you remember!" _

_ Dipper watch ed  as Will slowly faded away. "How did you get here? Are you just a part of my imaginatio n ? Are you a voice, telling me this? How do you spot the disturbances? WILL?" _

_ The disturbance  swallowed him whole. _

He woke up.

However , he didn't just wake up.

He remembered.

Most of it.

He scrambled out of bed, running to go write it all down. He couldn't forget. He couldn't go back to that confusion ever again.

As soon as he'd finished writing it down, he pocketed the notes and ran downstairs. Throwing on his vest and slipping on his shoes, he ran for Will's in the darkness of midnight.

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

"You _remembered?"_ Will practically yelled in his ear, just as excited as he. They were sitting on Will's couch again, munching on a sandwich platter he had whipped up.

"Yep. I remembered." He announced proudly, handing his friend the notes. He watched as Will's eyes scanned the paper, getting wider with every sentence.

"Wow. There was only one disturbance in that dream, too... I usually need five to remember so much..." The man admitted, passing him back the paper. "Well, I should finish my explanation." Dipper nodded in anticipation. "So, where was I... No, really, I don't remember."

"Ever since you were seventeen, you could tell when it was a dream, and therefore control your dreams. You showed me a disturbance, but  didn't get around  to telling me what the really are ,  though ."

"Ah, yes. Alright. Disturbances are like the black holes of dreams. They're big, mysterious  and confusing. Luckily, we know what's in  this  black hole, unlike the ones in space." He quickly took a bite out of a sandwich before continuing. "Memories. The more disturbances, the more memories they'll suck in. The bigger they get, the harder it is to avoid them. When they suck you in, you wake up. Don't ask me how that works, because I don't know either." He finished his sandwich, and reached for another.

"But how did you get in my dream anyway?" Dipper prodded, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Easy!  Voices." the man  said  as if that explained everything. "I guess you could call it voicemail, hah! Anyway, I had a theory long ago. A theory that the voices can communicate with others' voices. " He stopped and scratched his chin thoughtfully.   " Wow, that sounds quite obvious,  if you think about it. Anyway,  I never met anyone else with voices, so I waited. Finally, you got them!  At first, I slipped right into your dream. Fixed it up, and you woke up just like that. I thought maybe you were just close enough to me to feel the effect of the voices, so I didn't think you actually had them until later on." He finished, and devoured the sandwich in his hands.

" So. .. How can I visit your dreams?" Dipper asked, picking up a sandwich of his own.

Will chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's just meet in your head, okay? If for some reason I can't tell I'm dreaming, I don't want you seeing anything." He said darkly, staring right into the boy' s  eyes.

"Fine." Dipper agreed.

"Now, how about we go get something to eat?"

"It's one in the morning, Will!  Greasy's  isn't even open yet!"

"Well, how about we go have a picnic? We can finish off the leftover sandwiches!"

"You're hopeless."

"I'm not hearing a no!~"

"It's too cold!"

"You can use my coat, I'll be fine. "

"Ugh,  _FINE_. "

"That's what I like to hear! "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.  
> You see what I mean?  
> Anyway, basically the "voices" can communicate with other "voices".  
> Because of this, "Will" and Dipper can be in eachothers' dreams.  
> The disturbances are holes that suck info into their memory from the dream.  
> Seeing one reminds the dreamer that they're dreaming, becuase one does not see random holes everywhere in real life.  
> Not even in Gravity Falls, really. -ignores bottomless pit-  
> Hopefully you guys enjoyed!  
> Next chapter will be a lot more BillDip-y, and less Info-y.  
> See you then!  
> -Fly


	7. Stars In The Sky, Stars In His Eye(s)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIRST OFF I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THIS CHAPTER'S TITLE...  
> -Rhymes  
> -Makes Sense  
> -Is Kinda Funny  
> -Is Awesome And You Have To Bow Down To It  
> ANYWAY  
> MOVING ON  
> I promised a more BillDip-y chapter, and here it is!  
> A More BillDip-y chapter!  
> Sorry it's only 2051 words long! I was rushed, and as much as I wanted to lengthen it, i'm blanking out and I need to rest.  
> Writing for three hourse straight can't be healthy.  
> Anyway, I skimmed it, but I didn't re-read it. Forgive any errors.  
> I'll fix the minor stuff in the morning if I have time!  
> -Fly

 

"Close your eyes!" Will said, and Dipper felt a cloth brush against his closed eyelids.

" Wh-Wha ?" He gasped, grabbing at the blindfold.

"Hey, no peeking!" Will shouted, and he left alone. The two had gotten into Will's car, and were driving...  _somewhere_.

"Care to tell me where we're going?" Dipper asked nervously. This had to be against everything his parents had ever taught him. He had talked to, taken food from  and walked straight into the house of a stranger... Heck, he'd even  slept  with him! ...And now he was getting into his car.

Blindfolded.

Smart move.

Will scoffed. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it Dipping Dot?" The man teased him, and the car started rolling with a jolt. 

Will was an even worse driver than Stan.

The young  boy screamed as they turned a sharp corner, a crack in his voice making it high and girly.

The man laughed mercilessly, obviously beyond amused by this. "Wow. Really?"

Dipper didn't need his eyes to know that Will was staring at him. He hid his face behind the rim of his hat. "Oh, shut up."

Will chuckled as he turned back to face the road. His scream erupted from his chest immediately after, and the car swerved. Dipper listened for something to poke fun at, but sadly his friend had finished puberty long ago.

"We may or may not have almost hit a car." Will admitted , his voice shaky. Dipper shifted uncomfortably in his seat. There were never any cars driving so early in town...

"Okay, how far are we going?" He prodded, feeling the reality of his situation sink in. "I... I can't go far, and-"

"Shut up." The man replied simply. Dipper reached up to pull of the blindfold, but felt a gloved hand bat it away.

"D on't even think about taking that off yet." Dipper groaned in response, sitting on his hands to stop them from pulling it off.

"Fine. Just keep both  hands on the wheel,  please ." Just as he said that, the car went over a bump. "AND AT THAT, BOTH EYES ON THE ROAD." He gripped the seat, his teeth gritted.

His friend let out a nervous laugh. "Would if I could, kiddo." Dipper wanted to scream.

"THEN BRUSH THAT HAIR OUT 0F YOUR FACE BEFORE YOU GET US BOTH KILLED!"

Oops. Looks like he did.

A second later, his  blindfold was ripped off his face and he saw Will. He was between the front and the back of the car, his face  baring a glare that made his stomach turn.  Or maybe it was just because the driver's seat was  uno ccupied.

"WILL! WHAT ARE YOU  DOING?"  He shouted. The man's gaze intensified, and he used the collar of Dipper's shirt to pull himself completely into the back.

" ** YOU WANT TO SEE BOTH EYES? ** " Suddenly, Dipper wasn't so sure he did.

"Uh... not anymore." He said lamely, but his friend was clearly not listening. The man  pushed his bangs  out of the way revealing  a triangular eye patch. An eye was expertly sown on in golden thread.

" **HERE'S BOTH EYES**. " He pulled off the  patch, revealing a bloody mess. Dipper quick ly  looked away but was quickly repositioned by Will. He tried to pull the man's hand off his chi n, but it wouldn't budge. He wanted to scream, but it caught in his throat, leaving the boy  scared and defenceless.

Tears gathered i n his eyes, and he wondered how long it would be before the car crashed and broke Will's grasp . A single drop rolled down his face, stopping at his chin and soaking into the man's glove. He was released in an instant, and Will seemed to be just as shocked as Dipper regarding what had just happened.

"Oh my _god_ , Dipper, I-I..." he adjusted his  eye patch so it covered the blood once again. "I'm so-"

"Shut up and get back to the wheel!" Dipper demanded, earning an unexpected look of disapproval from the stuttering man. He watched as Will  reluctantly climbed back into the front, taking control  the wheel moments before they would've tumbled off the road.

"Looks like we're here." The man said calmly, turning right as they pulled into an empty lot. He parked the car, shut it down and stepped out, gently closing the door behind him. Dipper hurriedly pressed his lock down, watching as Will beckoned him outside.

The man visibly groaned, walking over to his side and trying to open the door. When he realized what Dipper had done, he slammed his head into the glass.

"Dip, I'm so sorry..." The boy tried not to listen to his former friend's pleas.

He tried.

"I'm an asshole, okay? I admit it. I'm an idiot,  jerk,  dunce,  moron . .. You name it." Dipper turned away, pretending not to hear. " I fucked up real bad this time, Dip. I can't change that, but I can make up for it. " It took every bit of muscle within him to not throw open the door and go see whatever the man had planned.

" _ Please _ , Dipper. Give me one more chance."

He unlocked his door, letting Will open it. He was about to step out when two long arms reached in, picking him up. "I can get out on my own, Will." He tried his best to hide his excitement. Dipper was never one for surprises, but when he finally got to see what it was...  W ell...

"I know you can. I just want to make up for my...  explosion , for lack of better word." Dipper felt h imself flush as Will kicked the door shut, humming to himself as he carried the boy to the middle of the  field. The picnic basked  sw ung on his arm, and Dipper could feel it hit h im with every step.

"Perfect." Will announced, gently setting the younger down on the soft grass. He sat down beside him, opening the basket and taking out leftover sandwiches, some assorted fruits and two bottles of water.

Dipper stared at the setup, suddenly hungry.  "Yum."

"Dig in." Will allowed, and he did. He managed to find a leftover chicken sandw ich , which was surprising. He thought he'd eaten all of those last time.

"So, Dip, how'r e things back at the shack? That sister of yours okay?" Dipper paused his eating, wanting to talk just as much as the other.

"Yeah, she's fine. She'd been helping me with-"

Was he  really  about to say that?

"Chores." He finished, quickly taking another bite of his sandwich.

"I see. What about that hole in the wall you told me about? When're you  gonna  get that old place fixed up?" Dipper talked between bites, explaining that he had no idea.

He purposely left out the fact he'd barely talked to Stan since the day they'd met. He didn't want to sound too clingy.

"What about you?" He asked, turning the tables. "Is life still pretty average, or..."

"No. Actually, I've barely had any alone time since I met you, kid! Even when you're not there beside me, I'm thinking about what to do next time we meet up." The man's face went red. "Okay, now  that  sounded weird. I think about other stuff too, duh, but it's nice having someone who understands by your side." Dipper smiled at him, earning a soft  noogie .

"To be totally honest, I don't have too many friends either." The boy admitted.

Will shook his head, chuckling as he finished his sandwich. "Oh, I have LOTS of friends. They just don't understand me, at least not in the way you seem to." Dipper felt happy to know his friend thought about him that way. Like he wasn't just a kid to be taken care of- He was as much of a mento r as Will was.

A deafening crack cut through the air like a whip, making Dipper jump. "What the hell was that?" He asked, still recovering from the shock of the sound. Will on the other hand looked genuinely excited.

"Now, Dipper, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise!" He said, quoting himself from earlier. Another crack rippled through the air, and Dipper looked around, confused.

"Not here, Dipper..." Will said, leaning in. He used a single finger to flick his head up, facing him towards the clear night sky. "There."

A third crack was shot, and Dipper now saw the source of the sound. Brightly coloured fireworks danced among the stars, some larger than life and others far smaller. They marvelled at the show, the patterns of the coloured fire creating an unforgettable spectacle. Eventually, the cracking stopped, and Dipper looked over at Will. T he man  was staring at him, but quickly looked away as soon as he realized he'd been caught.

"The show has two parts. They have to set up for the second part, so we can talk for a bit." Dipper nodded, letting his eyes wander back up to the starry sky above.

"So what's the occasion?" He could immediately tell he'd caught his friend off guard.

"Well, you see, um... It's kind of... kind of... It's..." Out of the corner of his eye he could see Will playing with his collar, probably racking his brain for an answer. "I don't know, but who needs a reason to celebrate, right?" Dipper was silent.

" _Right?"_ The man repeated, his voice full of hope.

" _Sure_."

"Oh, come on, your ego must be bigger than your head! It's not like I planned this for you!" Unfortunately for him , Dipper had been living with Stan the past month. The summer  of uncertainty had turned him into a walking truth  dete ctor . The slightest waver in Will's voice gave him away, and he knew it.

"You little liar!" Dipper laughed, shoving him in the side. The man returned the gesture, sticking his tongue out.

"Okay, fine. Maybe I did. What's it to you? Okay, that was a s tupid question." He dramatically slapped his palm to his forehead, sighing loudly.

"Yeah. It was." Dipper agreed, holding back laughter. "I must say, I-" But he was cut off by another crack, making him jump even higher than the first time. Will burst into laughter, falling over into the grass. He grabbed Dipper's hand, yanking him down to lay beside him.

"The view's better this way." He explained, and Dipper smirked.

"You sure? I thought the view last time was the best." He teased, knowing he'd pay for it.

"Shut up and watch the show." The man ordered, and another firework was released into the air before Dipper could continue. He let it go.

The fireworks were much easier to see now- And his neck hurt a whole lot less. Round two was even more extravagant than round one, and the final bursts of  color  sent pricks of light shimmering all the way across the sky, filling his whole field of view.

"How much did that cost?" Dipper asked, still star-s truck by what he had just witnessed.

"Doesn't matter. You enjoyed yourself, right?" Dipper nodded in response.  "Then that's all that matters." Will said simply, and he quickly got up, offering the boy a hand. He grabbed it, and was instantly pulled up. The pi cnic  had cleaned itself up, as they had eaten everything. The only things they took home were the two empty water bottles, which had already been tossed back into the basket.

Before he could protest, Dipper was swept off his feet and back into Will's arms, just as he had been before the show. He'd went from hating the man right back to hopelessly falling for him again.

And now he was in his arms.

Could things get any more confusingly perfect?

Yes.

The highlight of the boy's day was still yet to come, he just didn't know it yet.

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

Luckily, neither of the two died on the way home. Will managed to keep his one eye focused on the road, and both hands on the wheel. Dipper didn't dare  say  anything that would make the man turn around.

When they returned to Will's shop, Dipper was just as exhausted as he was awake. The whole experience had been nothing less than mesmerizing, and he hadn't wanted it to end.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

** (even this chapter, tee  hee ! ) **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA  
> -hides-  
> THATS RIGHT  
> I DID THAT  
> TEEHEE  
> I COULDNT HELP MYSELF, OKAY?  
> -calms self with peanut butter-  
> Alright. Next chapter will add on to this one, so don't worry. I won't leave out the rest of this day!  
> If you ever get confused about the time/date stuff, don't worry. I do too.  
> I always have the other chapters open whenever I write!  
> In this chapter, it was morning. Early, early morning.  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Please leave a review if you have the time!  
> Thanks guys. <3  
> -Fly


	8. Strike Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Another bad chapter? Yeah.  
> Sorry.  
> About 500 words were written this morning, and most was done last night. I had to post this now because I have a ton of math homework, but I couldn't let you guys down!  
> So here it is.  
> I didn't proofread the WHOLE thing, but I made some corrections.  
> All spelling SHOULD be okay...  
> ANYWAY  
> HOPE YOU ENJOY!  
> -Fly

"Hiya bro bro! How come you weren't here in the morning?" Dipper had just returned home, desperate for sleep. Unfortunately, it was a work day, and Stan would have none  of  it. Mabel, one the other hand, was chatting up a storm.

"Uh, hey, Mabel, I need to..." He jerked his head casually towards the stairs, hoping she'd get the hint.

She didn't, of course. _Classic Mabel._ __

"Dude, did you ge t water in your ears?"  Soos  entered the room, a toolbox in one hand and a sandwich in the other.

" Soos ! What are you doing here so early, you rebel?" Mabel offered him a high f ive, and  Soos  quickly finished his sandwich so he could accept it.

"Just fixing up some of the stuff in the gift shop! That weird dinosaur butterfly thing must've looked pretty rad, right? Destroying all of that stuff!" The man's excitement was through the roof.  Mabel tried to return a smile, but it seems she was scarred. Near-death experiences never really affected her too much, but for some reason...

No. It wasn't the dragonfly.

It was the  man.

She looked at her brother, and he quickly pulled  Soos  and her aside. "Guys, if Stan asks where I am, can you cover for me? I have... places to be." He said reluctantly, feeling bad for asking them to lie. (especially Mabel)

She sighed before reluctantly agreeing, and  Soos  gave the thumbs-up. Silently thanking them, he left the staff area and walked into the gift shop.  He was about to sneak away when a tug of the back of his vest pulled him back. Luckily, it was just Mabel.

"You're going to see your boyfriend, aren't you?" She said, more of a statement than a question. He wanted to slap her, but instead his  his  blushing face and turned back towards the door. "Oh no, I'm not letting you go just yet! What happened this morning?"

_ Oooooh  No. _

Her face lit up, her smirk fading into a proud smile. "No WAY! You were at his house this morning, and now you're going back over there. Doesn't that seem a bit... Obsessive?" He thought about it. "Desperate?" Damn, did he really think that? "...Obvious?"

No. No, he needed to go there daily, and for as much time  as possible. If he didn't, they'd both go completely insane.

"Mabel, I've got it under control. You'd think I'd be taking advice from someone who actually had a  successful  love life, but no. I guess I'm the best advice either of us has got." She looked hurt, but nodded.

"Seems fair. I mean, it's not like I actually had a DATE BEFORE!" She said, her tone starting out angry but ending in her tickling him to death.

"SAYS WHO!" He dodged  Mabel's tickling fingers, eventually forcing her to give up. It was only after Mabel's reaction  did he realize what he had said. "No, I didn't mean to say that-"

"OH MY GOD! DIPPER, YOU _PLAYA_!" Mabel's yelling awoke Stan from his daydreaming, and in seconds the man was in the room.

"D-Dipper? A... WHAT?" He doubled over in laughter, and Mabel laughed along.

"I know, it sounds crazy, but-" Dipper slapped his hand over her mouth, feeling her lick it. He didn't care. He was NOT going to let Stan  find out about  this.

"No."

A muffled  aw  could be heard through his hand.

"What're you kids doing in the shop, anyway?" Stan said, face pinched in suspicion. Maybe he was going to drop the whole  player  thing-

Mabel managed to rip his arm off her mouth, and she gracefully slipped away, sounds of girly laughing echoing through the shack. Before she was captured again she quickly ran away into the staff room, probably going to go tell  Soos .

Meh. Better than Stan.

"What was that all about?" The man asked, scratching his head. he wasn't in his suit yet, and his beard needed a trim. Sweat stains were more prominent than ever on his white (now yellow) shirt, and his boxers... Well, they were boxers.

As if he was going to examine those.

"Nothing." He reassured, but mentally slapped himself afterwards. He could've said she was on smile dip, or a boyband was coming to town, but no.

Nothing.

Ugh. Real smart move, there.

Stan snickered in disbelief.  "Sure, sure. I know what it means when a girl screams like that. It's either a  hot guy  scream, or a  someone's in love  scream. Trust me, I've known Mabel a month. She's surprisingly open about these girl codes-"

"And she's open about a lot of other things, too. I've lived with her my whole life." Dipper retaliated, waltzing out the door.

"And WHERE do you think you're going?" The man called after him, but he didn't care. Mabel was going to tell him at some point, and he didn't want to be there when she did. He was surprised when he heard his uncle give an ex asperated "FINE." before slamming the door behind him.

Wow. That was strangely out of character.

Maybe he felt bad about the letters from their parents.

_ Hmm. _

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

"Glad to see you here, kiddo!" Will wasn't tired at all, of course. The man probably lived off caffeine. He could see the man's bloodshot eyes hidden behind his warm smile.

"You too." He'd just walked into the shop, and his exhaustion slowed his every step. The trip took far longer than usual, and he was damp with sweat.

A few customers were scattered across the store, and it was the first time the boy  had actually seen anyone either than himself and the owner inside. A lady held a flowing red dress up to her figure, a little girl tugging on her arm. A man stood alone by the tuxedos, deep in concentration as he looked through the  colors . A  few others were there too, mostly teenagers checking out the new shop.

Will beckoned him over to the register, where he had set up an extra chair identical to his. He sat down and immediately leaned back into it, feeling the soft velvet on his neck.

Damnit , did he close his eyes again?

He must've, because when he opened them Will was staring.

Again.

Dipper was sick of it."Dude, are you checking me out or are you just worried? Trust me, I'm not dead. In case you didn't know, I'm a teenager and I need my sleep." Will's face went red, and he prayed it wasn't in anger.

"I don't know how to answer that." The man said simply, smiling at a customer who was buying a bright white suit. "Will that be cash or credit?"

Dipper's mind wandered off, away from his newfound friend and into the journal. There was so much he still didn't know-And he knew what he wanted to do next. He had to investigate the bunker- the author might even be down there!

Slowly, however, his thoughts drifted off into other, more unfamiliar topics. Dark thoughts clouded his already hazy mind with prophecy, insanity and mystery...

He was shaken out of his daydream by a gloved hand, his mind snapping back into attention.

Literally snapping. He felt a snap.

Will looked at him, horrified. The customers were too busy to notice them as the quietly snuck upstairs and into the man's house.

"Now tell me." He started, pacing with worry. " How  did you do that?" He thought about it. What had he done? "I mean, how'd you get into my mind?"

Is that what happened?

"I-I don't know! I was daydreaming, and suddenly I was pulled into a whole new mind set. It was weird, and creepy, and... dark. I can't explain it." Dipper stuttered, afraid of what they man would say. All he did was sigh. Dipper waited for a real response.

"Wow. Uh, okay. That's... scary. For both of us." You wouldn't have to be a geni us  to fig ure  out what was happening.

Dipper had a thought. "So at first, the voices could only communicate through dream. Now it's spread to daydream, too, and I'd assume that means one day we'll be able to read each others' minds." He stopped, and they both seemed impossibly afraid of that.

There was only one thing that scared him more than Will  knowing his secrets-

Knowing that Will also had them, and they were dark. Scary.  Mysterious.

Okay, now he was more intrigued than scared. But it still haunted him.

"We should get back to the shop." Will suggested, and Dipper agreed. "Just... T ry not to daydream, okay? I have quite a few secrets, and I'd rather tell them to you in person than you figure them out on your own." As hard as that would be, (for multiple reasons) the boy agreed, and the pair walked back downstairs.

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

The last pair of customers thanked them, and walked  out.

"Break time!" Will announced, standing up to flip their sign to say " **CLOSED**."

"Yes!" Dipper said, excited to see what the man had planned. They walked into his kitchen, and he sat down. His friend opened to fridge, and...

"Ta- _da!"_ What he held in his hands couldn't be called anything less than extravagant. It looked to be a  cake with dark red fondant covering every inch  the eye could see. Thick plastic pillars held a second layer above it, and had been decorated with a large pink heart. "Walked into a cake shop to get one the other day, and they had these on sale! I mean, flavour over fondant, right?"

Dipper was stunned. " _Wow_." Was all he could say, eyes fixed on the delicious desert. Will handed him a plate and utensils.

"Lo oks like you're pretty hungry, huh. Well, dig in! No one's stopping you!" Will sat on the stool beside him, watching intently as he cut himself a piece and gobbled it own.

"Aren't you  gonna  have a piece?" Dipper asked between greedy  mouthfulls . The man cocked his head.

"I'm supposed to be on a diet..." He continued watching the boy eat the cake , his stare caught somewhere between want and disinterest.

Ḑ͞è͘͜l҉̀ i͢c ̷̷ iou ̴̕͟s̨̡.

The word rang loud and clear in the boy's head, bouncing around.  _ Again ? _

"Okay, fine. It  does  look delicious." The man  agreed , grabbing himself a plate to  have a slice .

"Delicious?"

"Delicious."

"Uh-huh." Dipper tried to act casual, but he felt the voices trying to cling to one another. They pulled at his mind, tugging at his strings, waiting for him to snap. The immense pain came in waves, but no pain would be sharp enough to make him crumble. Act casual.

C̢͠a̶͏ s̨u ̴̢al̸̶.

"You seem quite relaxed for a kid who's going  crazy . " Will remarked, taking his time as he bit into the cake. The cent re  was bright red, and the taste was just as good as it's looks. Red velvet , obviously. It was  as royal as it sounded.

Dipper ignored the man's insensitive attitude and finished his cake. The after - flavo u r  was almost... bland. Like the  static that rings in your ear after a gunshot- It's still there, but it feels almost... distant.

Will frowned at his lack of reaction. "Stop acting so  casual . You know we're both slowly fading into insanity, but you insist that denial is the best way to handle it- Why? Why do you run from an unescapable fate?" Dipper fumed, his face red- not with embarrassment, this time, but with  anger . Not just the average type, oh  no, he was  furious.

Rage engulfed the boy  as he spoke; "Because we both know I  can  escape it. I  can  run. I can banish these voices from my mind before they can even affect me. I can make it out alive, still sane and mostly unscathed . You know what I can't do? I can't be happy. No matter what I do, no matter what choice I make.  Can't you see, Will? Can't you see how unhappy I am?" He was spouting nothing but hurt, self pity and uncontrollable hopelessness.

He was  _ done. _

One might be surprised that the man  had set him off so easily, but it's  _ Will. _

Come  _ on. _

"If I leave, and I'm cured, what the hell will Mabel think, huh? She'll ask and eventually she'll know. She being the girl she is, she'll investigate it  herself!  The only thing worse than me having these voices would be for her to get  them.  Oh, and if she doesn't? Well, guess what! It DOESN'T MATTER. I  still  can't be happy because I'll be forced to live knowing my  only friend  is spiralling into insanity . I CAN' T ESCAPE THIS, AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Dipper breathed heavily, not regretting a single word. He opened his mouth to continue his rant when Will raised a hand to slap him. The boy turned away, knowing what he was about to do, but nothing happened.

Will lowered his hand slowly, nodding his head in sorrow. "Dipper, I get it. You're right. I'm a big -"

"NO! YOU DON'T GET IT, DO YOU?" Dipper was beyond fury- He could feel the voices urging him on, cheering... "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ME. YOU NEVER WILL. I NEVER ASKED TO MEET YOU,  DID I?"  He pushed the man with a burst of adrenaline, successfully knocking him onto the floor. Blood dripped from his nose as he hit the ground.

"Damn it, Dip, don't you see? I never asked for this either. The one time I try to spend time with someone, I infect them. I  _can't_   have friends  and  I most certainly  _can't_   have family. Even you- I ended up getting you infected, but does it matter? Hatred takes over, and I'm left alone again." Will wiped the blood from his face, smearing his sleeve with dark red.

The boy tried to ward off his sympathy, but his heart won over his anger. Once again he found himself giving in, and he held a hand out to the man. He helped his friend up, who refused to release him.

"If I let go, you have to promise not to." Will pleaded. "Please, Dip- You're all I've got, and all I'll ever have. If you leave me... It'll be worse than before. Not only will I be a loner, but I'll go insane. We discussed this." Dipper nodded, and Will released him. He still held tight.

"Uh, metaphorically." The man attempted to shake him off, but his grip didn't falter.

" _I know._ " Dipper said blatantly.

So they stood there, the boy's hand wrapped firmly around his friend's.

He'd let go.

E̡̡͟͡v̶̢̛͝͝e̕͘͢͜͠n̵͘ t͘ u ́͘a̷̢̕͢l̴̴̡̧͞l̕͟y͘͝͞.̨̢̡́͘

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didja like?  
> Sorry if it seemed rushed, I made it to about 1000 words and noticed that i'd barely moved on from the shack... So if the "Will" and Dipper part seemed a little short, that's why.  
> In case you're curious, this chapter ended at about 3:00 PM. (Just in case the timeline is confusing!)  
> Website for the "voices": http://www.eeemo.net/  
> Thankd for reading! <3  
> -Fly


	9. Almost There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've decided I'd end this series on it's 14th chapter.  
> There will be an alternate ending, however, so keep an eye out for the 15th too!  
> Ending one will fit it into the canon storyline, and ending 2 will end it in a COMPLETELY NON-CANON WAY.  
> They will be extremely different, so please read both!  
> Anyway, I hope you guys like!  
> My laptop had to install updates, and so I only had an hour to make this!  
> MY FINGERS HURT FROM TYPING OWWWWW  
> -Fly

** -=[6:00 PM]=- **

"You're staying over tonight."

"No I'm not"

"Yes-" Will wrapped his arm around they boy's waist firmly. "You _are_."

Dipper sighed dramatically, breaking out of the man's hold. "Fine."

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

Dipper had only just finished his dinner, but a desert was already being pulled out of the fridge. A long, slender arm reached out to him holding a plate of pie. "Leftovers?" He guessed.

"Nah. There's never any leftovers after  Greasy's ." Will sat down beside him, and Dipper watched as he slung his leg onto the table.

Was it weird that he'd predicted that?

He ate his desert  fast, trying to calm his fast-beating heart.

Yeah. Well, it d efinitely wasn't normal .

"You  gonna  ask me if I made it? Because I did! Not too bad, eh?" The man beamed at him with sharp teeth, obviously proud of himself. Dipper was too nervous to comment, and made quick work of the pie. "Seems like you like it, anyway." Will shrugged it off, digging into his own desert.

After the tarts were devoured and the plates were licked clean, Will insisted that they had a rematch at chess. Dipper lost quickly- only ten minutes had past and he'd doomed himself to a checkmate.

"Dip, you okay? You seem different." Dipper shook himself out of his anxious state, trying to act... normal. On the inside he knew that anything normal would soon be rarer than the strange, but he couldn't help but hang on. A gloved hand snapped in front of his face and he realized he'd drifted back into his thoughts.

"Yeah,  I'm fine." Fine was the last thing he was. Exhaustion still weighed him down and the nervous excitement of getting to sleep over at Will's tonight made him want to throw up. He felt as if he'd faint right then and  there.

"No, you're not. You're a smart kid, Lil' Dipper! Don't you remember last game? T hat was skill, not  luck, and tonight I beat you in less than half the time of last match!" Will seemed to contemplate what was wrong, knowing Dipper wouldn't explain himself. "That's it. You're tired."

Dipper was about to object when he f elt an all too  familiar feeling of helplessness. H e was swept off his chair, rushed to the bed ro o m  a nd dropped onto  the  bed.

**_ Yeah. All I need is a little... _ **

He could feel himself drifting off already, slowly but peacefully. He could sense Will's f ingers running  through his soft brown hair. He felt the man's every breath barely hitting him, his arms exposed by his short-sleeved tee.

_** A little... ** _

He was repositioned under the covers, and he could imagine Will tucking him in for the night. He saw a flicker of blue  light  dance from the other side of his closed eyelids, sparking before dousing itself entirely.

**_ Sleep... _ **

_ "Will?" Dipper looked around, frantically searching for the man. As if on cue, his friend appeared. _

_ " Didja  call? " The two floated in endless oblivion, the bright white engulfing them. Dipper pleaded with his eyes for him to do something. "Let's spi ce thing up a bit, shall we?" The boy nodded, earning an excited grin and a push downwards on the rim of his hat . _

_ Momentarily blinded by his cap, he didn't witness the change of scenery. When he fixed it, however- _

_ An endless rollercoaster, one that stretched as far as the eye could see... It was all he could see, really. He could ba rely make out a forest below them, and... "Wait, how high up are WEEEEEEEEEEEEE?" _

_ Dipper clenched his eyes shut in fright but they were pried back open by his own curio sity . Will and him were sitting in a rickety old tram, high above the ground. The man's hands were flailing wildly in the air, oblivious to his discomfort. _

_ Or so he thought. _

_ A hand stopped abrupt ly , reaching down to grab his and holding it in the air. The boy's screams intensified, only getting quieter after they had gotten closer to the ground. Through terrified gasps he managed to say something along the lines of "Go fuck yourself" and "Get me off", both of which only got him perverted remarks from the man. _

_ "Oh, come on, Dip! Enjoy yourself! It's a dream, after all. It's not like you'll die or any-" The man clapped a hand over his mouth, his grin getting impossibly wider. " Hereeee  we  goooo !~" _

_ Dipper wanted to yell, but felt laughter bubble up in his throat. "Oh, what the heck." _

_ The pair went down the drop, laughing madly with their hands clasped together. _

He awoke to a pillow. His face had been shoved into a pillow. It was a harsh slap to the face compared to the fun that had happened in his dreams.

He could hear muffled snores coming from Will, and slowly rose his head. He was shocked to see that he was, in fact, lying  on top  of the man.

No, not sexually, but-

He became aware of an arm draped around his back, pulling him uncomfortably close to the sleeping figure below him. His legs were entangled in Will's, and he didn't dare to move. Not wanting to get up just then, he plunged his head back into the pillow.

An hour passed.

The body stirred.

"D-Dipper? You awake yet, kiddo?" Will asked tiredly, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yeah. That was awesome." Dipper giggled, his voice cracking. Knowing that he sounded like a girl, he tried to cough it off. Didn't work.

"Wow. Okay, that was... interesting, to say the least." Will remarked half-heartedly. "Care to explain why you're on top of me?"

"Thought you'd know."

"Nah. I thought we dreamt of a rollercoaster, not... Uh, whatever this is." Will sat up, his arm still wrapped around the boy. When he sat up, he hauled him over his shoulder. "Time to eat, bedhead."

Breakfast, as expected, was nothing less than mouth-watering.

No, that would be an understatement.

"When do you ever get the time to cook all this?" Dipper said in awe, marvelling at the display of pancakes.

Will tapped his chin in thought. "Currently, my life consists of cooking, apple pie, work, dreams and you. Not much else, really, so I have plent y  of time (and refri gerator  space) to spare!"

The boy nodded, not listening. The only thin he could think of was which syrup he'd try first.

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

"I swear, Will, you're trying to fatten me up, aren't you?" Dipper accused jokingly, poking his friend in the side.

"Oh, yes, I thought you and that sister of yours were Hansel and Gret el . My bad! You aren't! Get outta my house!" Dipper dodged a shove, laughing in harmony with the man.

They flung the dishes into the dishwasher, and they both knew Dipper had to go. "Mabel's probably worried sick. Stan will freak out if I don't get home soon, and besides- I have to work a bit today." Will waved him off, opening his own store for business.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. See you later, then?" Dipper nodded enthusiastically, leaving the man to himself. He hadn't told anyone he'd be sleeping at Will's place, and he knew his sister would give him hell for it.

His predictions were confirmed.

"Dipper! DIPPER!  DIPPER!!! " Mabel's voice boomed like thunder through the shack. She jumped on his as soon as he walked in, tackling him to the ground. "YOU, YOU... UGH! WHAT MADE YOU THINK YOU COULD SLEEP AWAY FROM HOME WITHOUT TELLING ME?" Her eyes were brimmed with tears, and she wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"Mabel, I'm so sorry! Will wanted me to-"

"Oh, WILL  WILL WILL . Shut up about your stupid BOYFRIEND already!" Of course, murphy's law struck him. Stan walked in, a look of confusion on his face. Dipper knew it would take one more suspicious word to send him into a state of uncontrollable laughter.

"What?" Dipper prayed she wasn't THAT mad.

Oh, but she was.

"DIPPER SPENT ANOTHER NIGHT AT WILLIAM'S PLACE BECAUSE HE CARES ABOUT HIM MORE THAN HE CARES ABOUT ME AND IT'S JUST NOT FAIR I WAITED ALL NIGHT AND HE DIDN'T GET HOME AND ALL ALONG  HE  WAS SAFE AND I WAS SCARED AND I CRIED AND-" Mabel's sobs struck him like knives to his throat. He felt horrible, for lack of better word, and-

_ T͏̶́ŕ̶͘ ai ̶́ t͜o ͟͞ r͏ou ̢́s?͏ _

Yeah. Thanks voices. Cue sarcas m .

Stan's stare was enough to send shivers up his spine. He knew that if he didn't move quick, that wo uldn't  be the only think he'd feel . "Dipper, who in  god's name  is this William anyway?"

Mabel hid her face in their  gruncle's  shirt, her crying now a little  softer. He felt a knot tie itself in his stomach.

"A friend." He said simple. When he refused to el aborate , Mabel turned back towards him, fire in her eyes.

"NO. HE'S NOT A FRIEND. HE'S AN 18 YEAR OLD  THAT YOU SLEPT WITH TWICE NOW, AND YOU LIKE HIM! LIKE, LIKE  LIKE !" Stan looked at Mabel, confused.

"Are you saying that Dipper is friends with and 18 year old, he slept with them twice, and now he like him?" Stan said, his face  ureadable .

"YES."

"I guess..."

"Well then, keep me out of it." Stan said simply, adjusting his tie. "If Dipper likes a guy that's possibly a child molester, far too old for him and way creepy, let him!" Mabel's mouth hung open in disbelief.

"B-But-"

"No buts. Dipper can learn this lesson on his own, Mabel. Don't tag along- one dead  bosy  will be bad enough." The twins couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"Well." Mabel looked almost...  embarassed .

"Well." Dipper agreed, and they went to their room to get ready.

_ Enough fun, enough games _

_ You've held his hand, why not add flames? _

_ How come I hadn't done this before? _

_ Could this be something... more? _

__

Will tried to shake these thoughts off. He really tried.

He ignored them at first.

He was shocked to find that they  only intensified.

He continued to ignore them, but soon he realized-

They weren't going away, and they'd haunt him until...

Until he did what he had to do.

"To quote Stanford Pines"… He said, remembering the portal.

He couldn't lose sight of his goal-

But-

He couldn't focus on it any more. He couldn't.

_ "Here we go." _

_ So the portal of space and time shall stay- _

_ To my inner demon's dismay _

_ But the boy has much more to his heart _

_ I'm intent on discovering every part _

_ I'll snake my way into his mind _

_ And after I see what I can find _

_ I'll decide what to do after the fun _

_ For I've developed love for my enemy's grandson _

_ Pathetic, really, but often quite... pleasant _

_ As he has a gift, and I don't mean a present _

_ Soon he will realize _

_ That behind this little  flesh bag  disguise _

_ Is a corrupted heart of both gold and sin _

_ Now, as I said; _

_ Let the fun begin! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UH... YEAH!  
> WOO!  
> Next chapter will be released on the 23rd, so BE EXCITED!  
> I GUESS  
> IN A WAY  
> anywho  
> ITS MY BIRTHDAY ON THE 24TH! :D  
> SO IF YOU'RE FEELING NICE, WISH MY A HAPPY BIRTHDAY?  
> idk im lonely alright  
> LOVE YOU GUYS! THANKS FOR READING!  
> -Fly


	10. Apology

 

Dear friends, readers, loyal followers and fellow  fallers...

I should've predicted this before, but... I didn't. I bit off more than I could chew, and I'm sorry to say that I won't be posting the next chapter today.

It will, however, MOST LIKELY be posted tomorrow. I swear to you!

Again, I'm so sorry. I feel like an asshole  considering all the super-kind comments you guys ha ve been leaving!

So, to say thanks, I'm going to copy and paste  some  of those!

Also, I'm happy to say that this birthday has made me 400$ richer, and 100% happier. ^u^

** Archive Of Our Own **

[ SnowMercury ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowMercury/pseuds/SnowMercury)

_ Happy early birthday! c: _

dippindorito

_ Aw, happy (early) birthday! -hands you plates of triangle cookies- Be careful, they're from a certain demon that wants you to post the next chapter. _

_ EEEE I'M SO EXCITED FOR TH E NEXT CHAPTER! Again, happy birthday, Fly! _

quixoticlimn

_ I love this story and can't wait to see where this is going! Thanks for sharing this awesome work with us, and happy birthday! _

** Fanfiction.net **

[ The Demons' Little Shipper ](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4363851/The-Demons-Little-Shipper)

YEEEEES! This chapter was so  freakin  awesome! Loved the little poem at the end, nice tou ch! It was adorable!    
I love how every chapter I'm just like "kiss scene? No? Okay. Story's still glorious  doh !"   
Yup. :D   
Ima  be waiting for the next chapter!

[ PastaandNutella ](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4642443/PastaandNutella)

_ Wapushhhhh ! Let the fun begin indeed! I'm so excited for the next chapter! _

[ SophiaCrutchfeild ](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5877901/SophiaCrutchfeild)

_ Happy birthday! Well, in 2 days least... :) _

[ Big FourPinecest ](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6268968/Big-FourPinecest)

_ Awesome  chapter!And  just so I don't  forget,Happy  Birthday!(: _

[ 1TheMysteriousAuthor1 ](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6287035/1TheMysteriousAuthor1)

_ I'm really loving this story \\(-V-)/ _

[ undeadPasta ](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6301514/undeadPasta)

Oh, my I love this story! It is my favourite  billDipp  story and I always wait for you To update! *-*   
Like: I see a New chapter made my day.  xD   
  
And btw;   
Happy Birthday! I wish you luck and health and everything good. 3

Thank you all so much ! Even if I don't respond to you, don't think I'm ignoring you. I read  all  my comments, and I'm as excited for  reviews as you may be for chapters!

I'm just socially awkward, and often I don't know how to respond to some comments. I'm always super happy when I receive them, and it's hard to respond to some comments without sounding repetitive or insincere.

Okay, I'll say it one last time...

I LOVE YOU GUYS

I'M A HUGE  ASSHOLE

BILLDIP IS AHEAD

I SHALL STEER THIS SHIP INTO THE SUNLIGHT

AND WE'LL SET SAIL FOR THE TUNNEL OF LOVE AND CORNDOGS

See you guys tomorrow! :D

Can't wait to write for you all again!

-Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S: All comments are from chapter 9, so if I didn't include your comment it's either because it was on a previous chapter or the apology was made before I saw it.  
> Gosh, that was a long sentence.  
> Well, see you tomorrow.


	11. Inner Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! :D  
> I'M SO HAPPY TO BE BACK!  
> THIS CHAPTER TOOK A LOT OF EGGOS TO FINISH.  
> SERIOUSLY, I'VE HAD 5 FOR DINNER ALONE.  
> I'M STARVING.  
> Anyway, on a different note...  
> Idk if all you guys will like that i'm doing what I did so early.  
> I mean, I still have 4 chapters to post, (plus the alt ending) so I hope it doesn't bother you!  
> HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE!  
> BECAUSE I HAD A HELL OF A FUN TIME WRITING IT!~  
> -Fly <3

Mabel wasn't sure how to talk to him. She couldn't look at him the same way- He told her that he  knew  Will could be a creep. He  knew  he might die any day now. And yet... He never stopped visiting him. Every day, M abel would fall asleep alone. In the dark.

Lon e liness  found it's way into her. It crept up like a spider before nestling in her heart. Candy and  Grenda  visit ed  almost every day, but she never told them why she was so lonely. Despite her frustration with the boy, she'd never rat him out.

Lon e liness  trailed off  into sadness, and sadness evolved into depression. Stan tried to get her to work, but his relentless attempts only ended in tears.

Of course, he said sorry.

And, of course, this meant nothing to Mabel.

She was too far gone- A deep sadness had corrupted her soul, filling her with emotion. Candy stopped visiting first- She was afraid, afraid that Mabel's mood would rub off on her. A week later,  Grenda  was gone too. They hadn't made  much  of a difference, but the thought of her only two friends leaving her...

That only made it worse.

Much,  _much_   worse.

Stan had to carry her to the kitchen table.

He had to carry her back to bed.

All she did was lay in bed, either staring off into space or intensely arguing with herself.

Always crying.

_ "Why did he go? " _

_ " What did I do? " _

_ "Maybe I wasn't  good enough?" _

_ "Maybe he needed more than a sister?" _

_ "Why am I not happy for him?" _

_ "Why can't I just move on?" _

_ "Why... C an't I trust him?" _

Of course, Dipper never wanted to hurt her. He did what he had to do.

A week passed.

Dipper finally decided to stay for a day, and Mabel finally managed to pull herself out of bed. He looked happier, but a crazed look dominated his sleepless eyes. She forced herself to look at him, to look at who he'd become.

His voice was slightly lower, louder and cracked. "Long time no see, sister!"

"Yeah." She agreed, forcing a smile. "A long, long, long time. A week, Dipper." Tears formed in her eyes again, and Stan turned away.  Soos , who was fixing a window, quickly finished the last bolt and ran into the staff room.

"Oh, come on, Mabel! It's only been a week!" Dipper said happily, pulling her into a hug. She pushed him off.

"No. No, we've neve r done this king of thing." She backed away from him before he could try to hug her again. _"Ever."_ __

"Well, you never visited, hmm?" He said, unimpressed. "If you really cared about us, I'd think you'd visit, am I wrong?"

Mabel was done being sad, however, and was downright furious with him. "NO. NO. YOU _ARE_ WRONG." She pushed him over, sending him toppling to the wooden floor. "YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE MAN. YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL!"

Dipper's smile only widened, and a snicker snuck through his  g ritted  teeth. "Wow. Are you  that  afraid of him?" He pulled himself up, brushing off his pants- Which were now black. And longer. "Like  em '?" He asked, noticing her staring.

"NO! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" His shirt had also changed- a simple, long-sleeved shirt was now in place of his orange tee. It was an inten s ely  bright shade of yellow, and a bowtie was nestled under his chin.

"Why, William happened!" He beamed, strikin g an arrogant pose. "What, is yellow not my  color ? I agree, but Will says otherwise." Dipper said, a hint of lovey- dov ey ness  in his voice.

Mabel stood there in shock. "Y-you're not Dipper, are you?" The boy's face went a bright red.

"How DARE you? Of course I'm-" He stopped abrupt ly , noticing the blue fire in his hands.

"Oh my god."

** No. **

** NO. **

** NO! **

_ "Yes." _

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

Dipper  was lying  on the forest floor.

That's all he remembered- He had left the shack as soon as he could, then went back to Will's place.

"Will? William!" The boy called, confused and alone. Looking at the sun in the sky, he could tell that it was past noon. He was supposed to visit Mabel that day.

"Here, kiddo!" The man said, and he saw the all-too familiar shade of yellow  coming  towards him. He had a worried look on his face, but there was a grim vibe to it.  The smell of trouble infected the woods, and they remained silent. Dipper looked down at his shoes.

"Why am I wearing yellow shoes?" Will swore under his breath, and whispered  something  DIpper  couldn't quite make out. He bent down to help take them off, and slipped on the boy's old shoes.

"Why?" Dipper asked again, not letting his friend off the hook.

He said it again.

"Why?"

Will bit his lip. Looked up at the boy. A feeble smile formed.

"Long story, Dip. I'll tell you one day, but for now, just wait." Dipper groaned in frustration, but...

_ "Fine." _

"That's my little Dipper." Both faces flushed at the r ealization of what he'd said.

" _Your_   little Dipper?" Will seemed embarrassed, but tilted his head in thought.

"Yeah." He wrapped his arm around the boy's waist, and neither knew if it was friendly, creepy or...

" **Mine**." He pulled Dipper close, almost lifting him off the ground. Anyone else would say it was too close. Anyone else would call it creepy.

It looked wrong.

But _felt_ right.

Heck, it  _was_   wrong.

But they thought otherwise.

Dipper was the first to talk. "Will, tell me."

His friend sighed.  "If you insist!~" He dropped the boy to the ground, letting him land flat on his back. "Now, first off, I'm sorry to say that our little  sherade  will have to end after this story. I'm very sorry, but it had to end at some point, right?  Anyway, a new one will start, so don't worry! "

" Wha -" Will shushed him, kicking him ever so lightly.

"S hush . Story time." Will sat beside him, a blank stare forming on his amused face. "So, I learned that I can actually  control  you when I get into those thoughts of yours! Cool, right?" Dipper's expression said otherwise. "No? Meh. What do you know. You've never done it! Anyway, I decided I'd let your sister down easy. I made you visit home, and that sister of yours threw a tantrum! I played cool, but it was still-"

"You what?" Dipper asked, more of a statement than a question.

"I told her off. Let her know you were having a great time hanging out with me! She was pretty mad, and some weird liquid came outta her eye..."

"Tears?" Dipper said, confused and angered.

"Yeah. _Sorry, it was on the tip of my tongue-_ "

"What happened?" The boy prodded. Mabel was crying- and he'd-  Will  had caused it.  Fury built up in his chest, and an intense dizziness made him want to throw up.

"She got mad. What else?" The man said, but there was still that split second of hesitation.

"No. No, stop lying to me. Will, what the hell happened?" Dipper tried to remain calm, but it wasn't working. His voice cracked in frustration. Nobody made Mabel cry- not on his watch.

"Wow, you're a pretty good truth detector! You should be a detective!" Will played with his collar, noticing that the boy wasn't messing around. "Alright, alright. Sheesh! I'm... I'm not... I'm not William, in all honesty. It's more my formal name."

_ "What." _

Will's face was starting to turn a sickly shade of green. "Uh, well... I'm... I'm-" He trailed off into a quiet mumble, and Dipper couldn't make it out.

"Sorry,  who?"

"I'm-" The man mumbled again, and Dipper stood up. He rested his foot on his friend's chest, pushing him to lay flat on the ground.

"WHO?"

"I'm-" Will sat up, knocking off the boy's foot and grabbing him by his shirt. "I'm-" He was now standing.  A n intense blush ran  across his face, and it quickly spread to Dipper. "I'm... A demon. There."

Dipper's mouth went dry. His eyes glazed over, and his whole body tensed.

_ "What." _

Will pulled him closer. "A demon. **D** - **E** - **M** - **O** - **N**. What, you need me to say it again?" The boy only hung there, suspended in the air. The grip on his shirt tightened. "I'm a DEMON. And those voices?"

Dipper's eyes widened.  "No."

"Oh,  yes.  Those aren't some supernatural side effect of insanity. No, they're your inner demons. You're literally being haunted by your inner demons, and soon they will consume your soul, as did mine!" Will pulled him so close that Dipper's nose hit the man's chin.

The boy sputtered in shock. " Wh -what-" He rubbed his nose lightly, feeling blood run down his face. He looked back up at the man, who was staring at him with a warn smile. He'd planned this all along.

And his friend...

Well...

He wasn't William, that was for sure.

"Congratulations, kid! You've just befriended Bill Cipher."

Dipper felt sick to his stomach. He tried to turn away, but he was frozen in shock. The smile bore into him like a dagger, and, despite it's warmth, it stung like needles.

"What? Oh, as if you hate me. Dipper, we've been friends for almost two weeks now! You can act like you hate me, but I'm still Wi lliam." Dipper turned away, but  felt a velvet glove brush against his hand. He let the man's fingers intertwine in his, and sighed quietly.  " Still Wi lliam."

"Why would you do this?" Dipper caught the demon off guard.

"What."

He forced himself to look back into his friend's lying eyes. "Why did you even give me these demons? Why did you let them loose, and why did you..." He felt his face heat up, but didn't dare look away. "And why did you want to help me?" He asked simply, not wanting to know why he'd slept with him.

He was gently lowered to the ground, but he wasn't released. "Well, I like you! How complicated does my explanation have to be, anyway? I wanted to get to know you the...  human  way, and what a better time than now, right?" Will's smile turned into a teasing grin. "Oh, and it was fun to watch you fall in love. Heck even  I  didn't know you were bisexual!"

Dipper felt t he  color  drain from his face. "You knew all along, and you never left?"

Will shook his head, laughing. "Seriously, kid? I don't judge. Heck, I  am  pretty hot, aren't I?" His whole body glowed a bright red, and Dipper felt an uncomfortable warmth by his neck.

Too  close to his neck.

"Anyway, I'm not really set to any sexual ity  either. Nor gender- But I do feel like this one suits me more. Correct me if I'm wrong!~" He said singsong, but something told Dipper that correcting him on anything would end in pain, or worse, death.

Demons weren't to be messed with.

Will sighed. "Geez, kid. You  know  I can see your thoughts! Treat me like any other human- Hell, it's fun! Just e njoy this, and act like nothing happened. Keep crushing on me, please, because it's quite cute!" On that last word Dipper's hand was pulled up to the demon's face. A light kiss was planted on it, and the world went pitch black.

** -=[AWAKEN]=- **

"Hey kid!" The familiar voice rang in Dipper's ears, and he rubbed his head. He was laying in a hospital bed, and Will was floating above him.

"Nice to see you're awake, Pine Tree! I pray that you remembered that dream, because if not  this must be quite the surprise!" Will's laugh bounced off the walls.

"Where am I, and why am I here?" Dipper asked blankly, looking around at his surroundings. It was a lot to take in- Everything that had happened in his dreams, and what must've happened when Will - 

No, Bill-

Had taken over his body.

"Hospital. I-  you  fainted soon after... Uh, well, Mabel knows who I am too, okay? Let's just say that much." The airborne man straightened his tie and swooped down to sit on his bed.

His landing wasn't at exactly  graceful.

He landed on top of the boy, his face barely missing Dipper's nose- Which was still bleeding from inside the dream.

"Well hello there!~" Will teased, and Dipper tried to push him away. "Oh, come on, you know you like it."

"No. You're a demon, and, as if that couldn't get worse-" His arms were pinned to his sides. "You're the demon who just so happened to infiltrate Stan's mind." The man snickered, pinning down his legs with his own.

" Mhmm . I'm a real asshole, alright!~" The carefree comment convinced him it was no use.

"You're impossible. In more ways than one, really."

"I know." He now had the boy completely helpless, unable to move.

Dipper shuddered, but tried to look brave. Bill could see his thoughts. "This isn't scaring me, Bill-"

"-And it isn't supposed to. What, you thought I was here to torture you? In case I haven't said it enough, I like you. You're an interesting kid, always were. You don't even need those inner demons to make you likable."

"Will...  I mean Bill-"

"Nah , I like it much better when you call me by my real name . Use it." Will smirked, knowing that Dipper was likely to break free soon. He wanted to enjoy this for as long as possible.

"Fine,  _ William _ -"

"Oh, always so adorable!" Dipper's face flushed. "Say it again."

Dipper's eyes widened to the size of golf balls.  "Wait-  Wh - Wha ?" The man rolled his eyes.

"I said-" He lowered his head  so that Dipper could feel every breath on his face. His voice was set in a low growl. "Say it again."

" _William_." Dipper said, deadpan. "I s that what you wanted?" The man shook his head.

"Always so cute..." And with that last comment, he pressed his lips to Dipper's. At first it was one-sided, The boy below him still trying to process what was happen ing . But as the seconds passed, he started to lose himself to the kiss, trying his best to keep up. Warm s hivers ran down his spine as a gloved hand moved to the back of his neck, holding his head as close as possible.

_ "Wi _ _ll-"_   The boy said breathlessly before being forced back into the kiss. It was more of an impulse than anything, but it was enough for the demon. He smiled  before pulling back, finally setting the boy free. Dipper gasped for air, his face pink with embarrassment and surprise.

"See? It wasn't that hard, was it?" Will teased, now sitting beside him. He wrapped and arm around him, trying to look casual. If it weren't for the dark blush on his face, Dipper would've thought it was just Bill's manipulation.

"No, I guess it wasn't." Dipper nodded, the taste of the man's lips still on his own.

_ "I guess I'm not any less in love than you are, Dip." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH  
> YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEA  
> BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY  
> Didja like?  
> Teehee!~  
> STAY TUNED  
> BECAUSE I'LL BE POSTING CHAPTERS 11 AND 12 (technically 12 and 13 :P) THIS WEEK!  
> LOVE 'YALL!  
> -Fly :D


	12. Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a shorter chapter...  
> Only about 1671 words.  
> Yeah, compared to my usual 2000-ish goal, it's a little short.  
> HOWEVER...  
> I'LL BE POSTING A LOOOOONG ONE (Maybe closer to 3000?) ON SATURDAY!  
> Enjoy! :3  
> -Fly

The words hit him like a hammer. For the longest time, he was in denial.

He'd fallen asleep, shortly after the kiss, the reality of his situation settling in. The dream that he had shortly before hadn't restored any energy. When he awoke, a doctor was leaning over him. The absence of Will was torture, and the empty side of his bed was just a reminder of the kiss.

_ The kiss. _

He'd kissed a demon. Even worse,  Bill Cipher . He'd fallen in love with him, too. Just when he thought his life couldn't get any more awkward, the doctor turned to face him.

"Oh, good morning. " Her tone was nervous and confused. "So, how was your night? Sleep well?" He shrugged, but she wasn't paying attention anyway. Her attention had turned towards the door, which he assumed had opened. His hearing was still shaky.

" Mr s.Wilk ? A word." Said a strange voice, and the doctor nodded.

"I'll be right back. Don't move, okay?" She left the room and the door closed with a harsh slam. He sat up slowly, a nagging ache in his back forcing a groan out of his throat. The room he was in was no different than it had been the night before- Dull blue curtains limited the natural light, and the grey walls and floors were no more welcoming than the posters on the wall.  Most of those posters featured various diseases, sicknesses, and eye infections, and it made him wonder how this was supposed to make him feel "better". He eventually  let himself slide back under the covers, biting his lip as the pain in his back grew stronger.

"I'm back!" Said the doctor, not bothering to hide the displeasure  in her voice. "Your... _friend_   is back. He wanted to visit, but you're supposed to be in solitary." Something soft hit him in the face, and his eyes fluttered open. The doctor sneered. "You should feel lucky we haven't already sent you off to an asylum."

Dipper's breath caught. A single yellow rose had been tossed onto his face- A small note attached to it read  _"See You Soon"_.  He looked back to the clock on the wall, where the time read 3:00. He must've slept in. Looking back to the doctor, he realized how bad this really was.

"What." She spat, fire in her eyes. Dipper knew she  obviously had something against him, but he couldn't place his finger on  why ...

"What happened to me?" He asked, ignoring her frustrated groans. "And how did I get here?"

She leaned against the wall, her face set in a seemingly permanent frown. "Well, some guy said you passed out. You didn't wake up, so he brought you here." Sh e crossed her arms, inspecting  her nails. "He said you were his  friend, but I'm always watching the security cameras. By the looks of it, that fantasy of yours suggests you were  much  more."

Fantasy?  Will had been floating, which didn't seem too weird... On  demon  standards.  Perhaps Will  had  been in his imagination at the time. Maybe he wasn't there at all. He'd probably just imagined it... A thorn on the rose punctured his skin, much to the doctor's amusement. The pain snapped him back into reality. Will was a  dream  demon. He'd probably appeared so he could only be seen by Dipper, or maybe he just couldn't be seen on film.

_ See You Soon. _

How soon? He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand the doctor. He closed his eyes, letting his mind wander.

"Going to sleep?" He answered her with a fake snore, hoping she'd leave. "I can tell you're awake, but hey- I don't like you any more than you like me, so I'll leave yo u a lone." A dozen footsteps faded out into the sound of a door closing. Slamming.

Whatever.

He sighed loudly, grasping at the covers. The coldness of the lady's words only added to the already chilly temperature, and the covers weren't helping to give him any warmth. He held the rose close to his chest, praying he'd fall asleep. He wanted to talk to Will again- needed to.

When he opened his eyes, the rose had turned a bright red. It radiated heat, warming his entire body. Dipper could feel the man's watching eyes, and knew that his friend was watching him, waiting for him to fall asleep.

"See you soon, Will."

_ "I've been waiting." _

_ "Me too." _

_ "You need to fall asleep quicker, Dip. You were lying there for two hours straight." _

_ "Sorry." _

_ Dipper and Will were sitting on a lone bench in a vast field . The sky was smothered in  clouds , cutting off most of the sunlight . The pale green grass was vibrant in contrast to the grey above their heads, and the bench was a startling red. Everything seemed perfect. _

_ "You'll learn to fall asleep quicker- Everything improves with time, kiddo." The man gave him a playful  noogie , and they both laughed. It was a careless chortle, and it made the boy wonder if they could ever work. A demon and a boy- How could it? _

_ "Pine Tree ..."  Will started, his voice sombre. "Don't think about these things, just-" Dipper cut him off with a soft hug. He felt the man's chest as he sucked in a breath, then soon after the gloved hands wrapped around him too. "Yeah. That's better." _

_ " Mhmm ." Was Dipper's only response, trying not to think about what the future would throw at them. It was stressful for him, so for someone who's thoughts are infinitely bigger... _

_ "I wish you could fall asleep, but that's pretty impossible, I suppose." Will commented, and the boy could  feel  the soft smile against his neck. A soft kiss was planted there, and Dipper practically melted. _

_ "You need to get me out of that hospital." He demanded, but inside he was begging. "Please, just find a way to get me out. They already mentioned an asylum, and I can't be sent there- You promised that this wouldn't happen!" His calm pleading was starting to give way to his fear of insanity. _

_ "Dipper, I swear on my bloody right eye I'll get you out." Will said, holding him close. _

_ "When?" _

_ "As soon as I can, promise. I'll have to break you out if I can't bribe the hospital, though- Looks like they're pretty sure you're going  nuts." Tears formed in the corners of Dipper's eyes. _

_ "Okay. Yeah, I can't say I wasn't expecting that answer." They broke apart from the hug, and Will wiped the tears from the boy's face. _

_ "Hey, I'm Bill! If I can't bribe 'em, and if I can't break you out, I'll just use my powers. Don't worry, you're not going to an asylum any time soon- And by that, I mean never." Just as Dipper opened his mouth to thank him, he was shoved off the bench and onto the ground. _

_ "What the fuck, Will?" He said, mildly annoyed. "What was that for?" Will had positioned himself so that he took up the whole bench. "Seriously?" _

_ "I know, right? I'm such a  child , aren't I?" Dipper scowled and pulled himself up, waiting for Will to move. _

_ He didn't. _

_ "God DAMN IT, WILL." He crawled on top, knowing that this was what the man had wanted. _

_ "Stop thinking so much and just enjoy this , Dip." Will's hand pulled his head closer, not quite into a kiss but close enough so  they could stare into  each others' eyes. _

_ "Fine." _

_ "Fine-ally." _

_ "Oh, ha  ha . Pun intended?" _

_ "As always." _

_ So they laid there in silence, dreading the moment of awakening. _

"Wake up. " Dipper was forced awake by the harsh words of another doctor. This one was a muscular man, and he seemed to like him even less than the doctor before him.

"Did I scare  Mrs.Wilk  away?" He asked slyly, earning a pissed off glare.

"You're a sick kid, and I don't mean that in your weird teenage slang language. You're lucky  some guy saved your ass in court , because if he didn't you'd already be in the madhouse." Dipper shrugged innocently, and excitement built up in his chest. He knew who had saved him. Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed through the hospital hall. The doctor's face went pale.

"Nice to see you again, Dip!" Will had slid into the room, his black leather shoes squeaking on the  colorless  floor. The doctor turned around, not any friendlier to him than the boy. "Whoa, who are you? I was told nobody was in here-" A look of recognition waved over the man's face, and he mouthed a curse.

"Get out." The doctor demanded, his voice filled to the brim with rage. "Or I'll kill you." He pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at his chest.

"Oh, that won't work, I can assure you!" Will laughed, but he was visibly shaking with anger. His hair had started to glow a shade of red far different than the rose had been. Slowly, his clothes followed suit,   **(PUN VERY MUCH INTENDED)**   black fading to a glowing white and yellow to the same red.

The man backed up,  his breathing getting louder with every step. He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger, but the despite the bullet in his chest Will kept walking.

"Then  I'll shoot him." The doctor said, hid voice in a strangely calm tone. The gun was point at Dipper now, and Will stopped in his tracks.

"You wouldn't dare."

"As if he's any use to me."

"Would he be any more useful dead?"

"I don't need him to be alive- I just need his DNA."

"SHUT UP!  YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND YOU'RE THROWING IT ALL AWAY!"

"I need to end this before it starts-"

"No. No, DON'T."

"Stop me then." The trigger was half pulled, and Dipper was frozen in shock. The doctor turned back to him, and flashed him a toothy grin. "Recognize me yet?" He shook his head.  "Good." The bullet fired.

And

It

All

Went

** Black. **

_ "I'm no stranger... Dipper." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER?  
> CLIFFHANGER.  
> Yeah... I decided-  
> "HEY. BLENDIN'S GAME WAS A COOL EPISODE."  
> "OMG"  
> And so, the plot thickens!  
> Also I'm working on the final chapter. I know how this is going to end already, so I have all my notes for what to include in the next few chapters.  
> And...  
> I might just do a follow-up fanfic.  
> I've decided how the "AU Ending" is going to happen, so basically the follow-up fic would kinda merge both endings... I'll put full details in the final chapter!  
> Thanks for reading guys! <3  
> -Fly :D


	13. Sleeping Beauty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I at least got a chapter out today!  
> Right? Right?  
> Heheh... Sorry it's not 3000 words.  
> I forgot I had shit to do today.  
> People always ask why I can't talk late at night.  
> MY ANSWER?  
> I'VE GOT THINGS TO SEE AND PEOPLE TO DO!~  
> OH WAIT  
> HAHA  
> Well, enjoy. (oh god i'm sorry i'm really tired okay)  
> -Fly ;)

_ A Pinch Of Sugar _

_ Maybe Two _

_ One F or Me _

_ And O ne F or Y ou _

_ A Pinch Of Sugar _

_ Maybe Three _

_ And I'll Be  Part _

_ Of Your Family _

_ A Pinch Of Sugar _

_ Maybe Four _

_ And Death Won't Go Knocking _

_ At Your Door _

_ A Pinch Of Sugar _

_ Maybe Five _

_ And I'll Make Sure _

_ You Stay Alive _

_ A Pinch Of Sugar _

_ Maybe Six _

_ Just Add Some Sugar _

_ To Your Supernatural Mix _

"Dipper? Oh god, oh god..." Will's voice was distorted, and it bounced around the room. Dipper saw nothing but darkness for miles.  Are my eyes closed? Why am I lying down?

Was this H eaven?

Or  Hell? That seemed more likely, given he'd kissed a demon...

"Dipper, come on  kid, get up. " His eyes were pried open by long, gloved fingers. The blinding light forced tears to his eyes. "Oh my god, you're alive! " The man sounded beyond relieved, his voice choked and cracking. "You okay, kiddo?"

The boy tried to speak, but it came out in a whisper. "What happened?" Will pulled  him up, and pain shot through Dipper's  entire body.

"That  doctor had a reason for what he did, but... It's a long story, and it'd be better for you to figure it out later. Trust me." Dipper was now on his own two feet, and the world spun around him.  Dizzin ess  took over, and he could feel hims elf slowly falling ... Another wave of pain coursed through him when an  arm shot around his waist, steadying him.

"SHIT!" Dipper breathed through gritted teeth.  "What was that?"

The man had moved his arm to his shoulder now, his glove wet with blood. "Look down, and remain clam. "

Dipper's heart skipped a beat, and he let out a  high -pitched scream.

So much for remain calm.

His right hip was bandaged, but blood soaked through it anyway . The man must've shot him- How had he survived? He was skinny, short and young- And just by the looks of it, his wounds were not minor. "How am I alive?"

"Me, that's how. Funny how a hospital is the last thing you'd need, huh. That bullet was lined with the blood of a zombie, and I doubt any doctor would know what to do about that." Dipper gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the intense pain in his side.

"What does it do?" He said, his voice still a whisper. He could feel himself slipping away, but the man's hand kept him barely standing. "What does zombie  blood do?"

Will bit his lip. "If you're lucky, kills you instantly. If you're not... Well, I'd rather not get into that. You get so little sleep as  is.  Thankfully, you're  gonna  live to see another day- Maybe even  more." Dipper  sa t down,  sick to his stomach. Will didn't release his shoulder, instead sitting  down with him.

"Okay."

"Oka- Wait." Will interrupted himself.

"What?"

"N- Nothing. Interdimensional time travel is messing with my mind, infinite as it is."

" Mhmm . Good night, then." The boy saw stars behind the darkness of his eyelids, each blink getting longer until he was asleep.

The man smiled, lowering his Pine Tree's  head onto his  lap.  "Good night, kid."

Placing his fingers onto the boy's head, he was pulled into a dream.

_ "You there?" Will called, his one eye scanning the landscape in front of him. _

_ "Uh-huh." Dipper answered from behind a tree. His back was rested against it's trunk, calm and content. _

_ "Nice dream you got there. " The man prodded, sitting with him. His human body was getting to him- As were the human emotions. His one bad eye made it hard to see the boy, and he couldn't help but yearn for another kiss. He'd get one, but now was not the time. "Is your h ip feeling okay?" _

_ "Well, yeah, and it doesn’t make me want to wake up." Dipper replied with a laugh. One hand was  blindly searching for Will's, and the other was inspecting his strangely painless wound. He blushed deeply when he found the hand, guiltlessly letting himself sigh as the fingers wrapped around his own. _

_ Everything seemed so... perfect. _

_ Well, almost everything. _

_ The scenery was perfect. _

_ The tree was perfect. _

_ Will was perfect. _

_ The love in the air? As close to perfect as they could get. _

_ Dipper himself? Well... _

_ "Dip, don't think like that." Will said, his voice in a low growl. "Stop thinking you're not what I know  you are, because a perfect man can't love an imperfect one." _

_ Well. Okay. _

_ "I-I mean, okay, you're also really-" _

_ Dipper was holding back laughter, and hid his face in his hands. It must've looked like he was upset, because Will wasted no time in grabbing hold of his hair and forcing him into another kiss. It swallowed the boy's unstoppable giggling, and only made everything more perfect. _

_ But, as I said long ago; _

_ " Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end . " _

** Zombie Curing Tonic **

** -3 Cups  Vegatable  Oil **

** -2  Cups  F ormaldehyde **

** -4 Cups Cinnamon **

** -3 Cups Ghost Pepper **

** -A Pinch Of Sugar **

** Stir into a single large bowl **

** Serve at room temperature **

** Makes one serving **

** Make sure subject drinks entire bowl, or the cure will not work. **

"You're okay. You're okay, Dipper. Calm down." The boy was sobbing into the bed sheets, the pain in his hip now unbearable. Will sat on the bed, a bowl of soup in hand. "You need to calm yourself, or it's going to get worse."

Dipper didn't dare face him. "Is that so?" He asked sarcastically. "Because I'm going to DIE. It CAN'T get worse." His shoulders shook as he continued to cry, knowing that Will was just trying to make him feel better.

Of course, the man was reading his mind. Literally. "No. I'm serious, Dip! Stress and sadness lead to a shorter lifespan, and they can worsen the effects on many illnesses. Supernatural ones included." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "At least I think so- I don't fully understand all human emotions, so I'm a little rusty."

Dipper wiped his nose of the pillow, finally turning around. A spoonful of stew was thrust into his mouth instantly. The boy screamed a muffled curse, but his annoyance gave in to the delicious flavour of the soup.

Wi ll smirked. "Good, isn't it?" The spoon was retracted from his mouth, and Dipper nodded weakly. "Glad you like it. Now open up!~" The boy obl iged  and accepted another spoonful of the dish, and the cycle continued until the bowl was dry.

Dipper yawned, tired but happy. The pain seemed to have faded away with every spoonful of the creamy stew. "Good night, Will."

The man shook his head, setting the bowl aside. "Already? Sheesh, Pine Tree, can't we ever talk in reality?" He slipped under the covers with the boy. Almost instinctively, Dipper cuddled up against him. Will shook at his touch. "Alright. See you in the mindscape, Sleeping Beauty."

_ "Welcome back." Di pper greeted, smiling at the man across from him. They were sitting at a table, a chess board between them. _

_ "Finally ready for a rematch, hmm?" Will grinned ear to ear, scanning his pieces. "You remembered the layout and everything- And these pieces look extravagant!" Dipper cracked his knuckles and took the first move. _

_ The pawns had thousands of details, each facial feature carefully thought out. Their expressions were full of anger, each one  waiting to get revenge. _

_ Time went by, curses were yelled, and  insults were hurled . This was war. _

_ In the end, Will had won. Barely . Dipper wasn't that surprised, but he was still furious that he'd lost. "Good game, kiddo! " Will held out his hand, and Dipper quickly took hold of it. The table and chess board disappeared, and the boy was pulled forward. _

_ "Geez, am I that cute?" Dipper asked, his tone unimpressed and smug. _

_ "Yeah. Took the words right out of my mouth, actually!" And Dipper was forced to accept it. _

_ He pressed his forehead to the other's... _

_ And then they woke up. _

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty!" Will sung, but the room was dark. They'd fallen asleep in the afternoon, and, judging by the window, it was night.

Dipper groaned, his leg trapped under his companion's. "You've use  that name already. Hey, could you move your leg? "

** -=[TIME SKIP]=- **

Dipper wrote his will that night.

Will was fixing up some sandwiches, and he'd decided it was for the best.

If he did die, he wanted Mabel to know the truth.

He wanted Wendy and  Soos  to take care of Mabel.

He wanted Stan to have Mabel over for as much time as possible- With no brother, surviving their asshole parents wouldn't be easy. Even with him, the next school year would be their hardest yet.

As for Will... He wasn't sure. Will- Bill, rather, was a demon. If he died, would he still be able to see him? Say hi? Maybe even relay messages to the living?

It was too much to assume, so he decided to put a simple  _"I'm sorry for leaving you alone"._ It was lame, but he couldn't bring himself to think about death. He didn't know what he'd want to say when it was too late to do so.

"Put that piece of paper down." Will demanded, walking into the room. A plate was balanced on his palm, and a stack of sandwiches were piled on top. "You think before you do everything- Even the stupid things. I'm always watching, Pine Tree. Don't think that that's limited to things you can  see ."

The sandwiches were slammed onto the coffee table, and the paper was snatched out of Dipper's shaking hands. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"No. No, you won't die. I won't let you die, Dipper. You thinking that I would is an insult to me." The boy avoided his gaze, picking up a sandwi ch  and acting as if he wasn't embarrassed as he was.

The man exhaled loudly, annoyed and slightly angry at the boy's disbelief. "So, how's that bandage doing?"

Dipper bit into the bread, lettuce crunching and meat tearing. "Good. Needs to be replaced soon, though. It lasted longer than I thought it would." He was right- The cloth was slightly sagging, and the blood had dried. The dark brown colour on the dirty grey canvas wasn't a pretty sight, and it smelled like death.

"I see." Will agreed, oddly not at all interested in his own sandwich.

That was when everything started to get weird.

Dipper felt a little woozy, and everything seemed... W elcoming. Will was staring at his with an inviting smile, and he waved his hand in front of his face. "Earth to Dipper! Testing  testing , one two three!" The boy nodded weakly, not knowing what that meant.

"Great! Now the fun can start." The man laughed, and Dipper felt himself return the favour. His giggled sounded carefree and girly, and Will slapped a hand over his mouth. "Okay, that got to o annoying too fast. Let's shut you up." The voices were pulling his strings, trying desperately to snap him out of it- but something wasn't right.

"What was in those sandwiches?" Dipper said, his voice quieted by the glove.

" Mmm , doesn't matter. Now shut it and enjoy yourself!" Will said, his smile now crazed. Dipper nodded, the voices finally letting him go. The man pulled him into a hug, running his fingers through the younger's hair. "One day, Dip. One day." He muttered, but forced Dipper into a kiss before he could question him.

_ It's Time _

_ To End _

_ Our Little  Cherade _

_ No Buts _

_ No Whys _

_ No Need To Explain _

Will reluctantly left the sleeping boy on the couch, and walked over to the windowsill. Everything was going as planned- But he wasn't ready to leave the kid behind.

Just one more day.

_ We've kept _

_ It Going _

_ For Longer Than Planned _

_ You Crawl _

_ You Fall _

_ And Finally Stand _

He tiredly crept back over to him, hoping he'd understand.

No.

He never would.

It'd be easier just to erase it all, but...

He could never forget, even if the boy did.

_ Maybe _

_ Just Maybe _

_ We'll Reunite _

_ And Maybe _

_ Just Maybe _

_ It'll Be Alright _

"See you tomorrow, Pine Tree."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, early preparation for the end is happening...  
> Only two more chapters!  
> BUT  
> I'll do a second part to this fic if you guys want, just lemme know.  
> ALSO  
> IDK WHAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF KISSING IS IN A SINGLE CHAPTER SO...  
> YEAH  
> Thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review!  
> -Fly :3


	14. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY LETS-GET-OBSESSED-WITH-THE-HOLIDAYS DAY!  
> (aka December 1st, tomato tomato)  
> That makes more sense said than written down, I swear.  
> Anyway.  
> It's a shorter chapter, only 1775 words long, but hey.  
> The next one will be A HELL OF A LOT LONGER.  
> OKAY MAYBE JUST 2500-3000 WORDS I DONT KNOW  
> Enjoy! :D  
> -Fly

"Will, you drugged me."

Dipper was awake now, pacing around the kitchen.

The man sighed in response. "No, I didn't." He threw a muffin at the boy. "Now eat."

"That wasn't a question,  _Bill_." Dipper sneered, taking a reluctant bite.  _Blueberry_.

Said demon shot him a death-like glare, visibly furious. "Dip, I'd prefer to be called by my real name- That one..." He took a hasty bite into his own muffin. "I'd rather not use right now. This is our  _good_ relationship, so don't make it look like the  _bad_ one with that nickname."

Dipper groaned. "And what exactly _is_  this relationship?" Will pinched his eyes shut.

"Mmm... You know-" He took another bite out of his muffin, avoiding the boy's eyes. He pursed his lips, nervous and unsure. "Whatever, really."

"Whatever."

"Yeah. Sure. Is whatever okay?"

Dipper face palmed loudly, not knowing what to say. "You're impossible."

The man grinned ear to ear, sitting down at the counter. "In more ways than one!~" The boy couldn't help but laugh along, despite the nagging question he still needed answered. What  _did_ Will think about them? He'd already kissed him  _multiple_  times, and said he was as in love as he was.

Which was... Very much so.

But there seemed to be something strange about the man- And not the usual strange vibe he had. No, he was keeping something from him.

Something big.

**-=[TIME SKIP]=-**

The two had decided they'd go for a walk. It was a beautiful day, and both were eager to feel the warmth of the summer sun. Despite Dipper's nervousness, they had agreed on the forest.

"I'll keep you safe, Dip." The demon had insisted. "Always have!" That made him blush.

Ten minutes into their walk, Dipper spoke up. "Will?" The man whipped his head around. He'd been avoiding eye contact for longer than usual- Then again, if he started too much, Will would kiss him. It was nice, but he missed the forest. A walk sounded better, at least for the time being.

"What is it, my Lil' Dipper?" His face instantly turned a bright red, realized what he'd said. "Or, uh, you know what? Nevermind. Just... Enjoy the silence, okay?"

The scenery would have to wait. Something was wrong. Dipper tugged on the man's sleeve, forcing them to a halt. "We need to talk, Will."

"About what?" The demon's voice cracked, and he visible cringed. "I mean... About what?" He repeated, trying to hide his embarrassment.

The boy frowned up at him. "Stop it! I know you're hiding something, Will. Stop acting like I can't tell, okay? Do I really seem that dumb to you?" He spat, angry with the man's behavior.

"N-No, Pine Tree, my dearest Pine Tree..." Dipper shook his head.

"Don't  _my dear Pine Tree_ me! Tell me what's happening. Now." His voice didn't crack, shake, or waver in the slightest. He watched as Wills shifted uncomfortably. It was almost amusing, watching such a powerful demon struggling like this. He could see how much he hated it, being trapped like that.  _Yeah, know you know how we felt._ He thought to himself, hoping Will was listening.

"Fine." And just like that, his moment of power ended. He was forced to sit down, and he looked up at the man like a puppy. "That's better. Now, where was I... Oh yes! Story time!" Will practically giggled, pacing around the boy.

"Get on with it."

"Will do, sugar cube! Ah, yes. Well, what you said earlier was bothering me, and I figured- Hey! What if he's thinking the same thing? SO I checked your brain, but you didn't seem to bothered by it. Just... curious. So, I was wondering..." He bent down, his grin straightening into an unamused look.

_"How much do you care about... Us?"_

Dipper felt his heart beating heavily, and he wasn't sure if it was out of fear or excitement.

_M͜͜͠a͞y̨͝b̷̧e͜͠ ͏̵̀I̶t'̛ś̕͢ ͟͞B͡͡ó͝t͢h.͏̴_

_Maybe..._ He thought, annoyed at the voices' sudden entrance.  _Maybe it's called_ _ **love**_ _._

"I'm listening, you know." Will reminded, laughing quietly.

The boy forced himself to look into the demon's confident stare. It pulled him in like quicksand, and he fell right in. He didn't dare to make a move, though- He wasn't going to give in like that. "Well, then, , then your question must be answered."

Will's intimidating glare faded into a confused one, and he cocked his head. "Hmm?"

"Well, I care a  _lot_ , thanks for fucking noticing. If you really do read my thoughts, you'd know I love you. You'd know I'm often desperate to see you, and that's not just because of my constant fear of insanity. I  _love_ you, and you know it better than anyone else!" Dipper sucked in a deep breath. "I feel like a little kid all the time. You always act so cool, and I'm so- So- DESPERATE! I try to hold back, but I can't, Will. I've fallen in love, and I can't get up."

_Yeah. Let's leave it at that._

Will tried to make it look casual, but the boy saw him wipe tears from his eyes. They weren't happy tears like he'd first assumed, though- They held a sadness he couldn't describe.

Will hadn't answered truthfully. Something  _else_ was on his mind.

He must've been reading his mind, because before he could speak his lips were occupied- Not by words, but by love. Pure emotion hit him, feelings of happiness and sadness and he wondered if that was what it felt like to truly say  _"Good bye"_. He found himself kissing back, and he let the man let it out. Whatever he was hiding- It must be horrible for him, and Dipper would help in any way he could.

Even if he had  _no idea_ what that horrible thing was.

**-=[TIME SKIP]=-**

They were in a clearing- A wide open field surrounded them, a lone pond off to the side. Flowers grew at the edges, and weeds dotted the grass. Will had insisted that they rest there.

"So." Dipper started, the unnatural silence freaking him out.

"So?" Will mused, concentrated on playing with the boy's hair. Dipper felt a little odd, the wind whipping it around, no hat to shield it- But it was nice.

He adjusted his position, wanting to face the man behind him, but was stopped halfway.

"No. Stay." Will ordered, and grabbed his wrist with one swift move. With his right hand, he continued to mess with the boy's hair, but the other he used to keep him still. "Your hair is soft." He explained, an odd sense of sadness dripping from every word.

Dipper could've sworn he heard something after that, but refused to believe it. The words were hushed, spoken under his breath. He knew he wasn't supposed to hear it.

_"Too bad I won't get to feel it again..."_

No. He was hearing things- going insane. Yeah. It was the voice again.

He tried to believe it. He really did.

**-=[TIME SKIP]=-**

Dipper had gone home. Will was sweaty from the walk, and it wasn't because of the heat.

"Damn it, Dipper... You're too smart for your own good..." He muttered, trudging up the stairs. He was too tired to open the shop, and besides- It was only a cover until Pine Tree discovered who he truly was. After that, he'd just conjure money.

Cracking his knuckles, he sat at his desk. It was a dark brown, stained with blood. He'd told Dipper it was merely "red ink", but pain really was something to behold! Picking up a pen, he wrote.

_Dearest Pine Tree..._

_I'm sure a lot of things are going through your head right now..._

_For example;_

_"What are all these thoughts?"_

_"Are these memories?"_

_"Who wrote this?"_

_"What is this?"_

_And so on._

_HOWEVER..._

_I'd rather not tell you if I'm_ _**dead** _ _._

_So I'll tell you in person-_

_Er, in demon, I suppose._

_Meet me at Greasy's._

_4:00PM sharp._

_Be there._

_If I'm not there, move on._

_Ignore these memories._

_And please, Ii beg you-_

_Be careful, kid._

_-William_

_P.S: Happy birthday, big Dipper._

He sighed. Turned it over, inspected it, sighed again. It looked as vague and, for lack of better word,  _stupid_ as any of the other letter's he'd written. His wastebin was filled to the brim with crumpled papers.

Sigh.

Flip.

Re-read.

Sigh.

He picked up his pen.

_P.P.S: I love you._

That would have to do.

**-=[TIME SKIP]=-**

Dipper was in bed, listening to the whistling sounds of his sister's snoring. Every breath was filtered by the braces stuck to her teeth, creating a metallic melody that haunted him every night. A silent breeze blew open their window, and he groaned.

Too lazy to get up, he let the cold air cool his skin and freeze his bones.

_"Hey, Dippin' Dot."_

_Instead of a beautiful landscape or a sandy beach, a welcoming wonderland or a mysterious forest, they stood in a room. A couch against one wall._

_That was it._

_"Okay, Will. Tell me what you were so sad about earlier."_

_"Oh, my dearest Pine Tree, you needn't worry about that."_

_"Yes, I do. Now tell me or I'll wake up."_

_The man swept him off his feet, dropping him on the couch. "Why do you want to know so bad?"_

_Dipper scrambled to pull himself into a sitting position. "Because I care about you? Because I need to know why you_ _**cried** _ _earlier?"_

_The demon fought back a blush, and sat down beside him. "If I told you, you'd hate me. You'd hate yourself for becoming so attached to me, and you'd hate Gravity Falls because of it will take away from you. Worst of all, there's nothing we can do about that."_

_The room went silent._

_"You've been cheating on me, haven't you." Dipper asked, half joking._

_"WHAT? NEVER!" Will yelled, playfully tickling him. He managed to pin him down on the couch, but they both knew the boy wouldn't try to escape. "Never."_

_They fell comfortably back into silence, the realization of what they'd both implied sinking in._

_"Well, I guess that answers my first question." Dipper teased, earning a smirk from the man above him._

_"Yeah." Will said, lost in his own thoughts._

_Or maybe Dipper's._

_He could never be sure._

_"I guess it does, my Little Dipper."_

_"Shut up, you overgrown dorito."_

_"Oh, so we already have names for each other, do we?"_

_"Hopefully not those ones."_

_They laughed carelessly, enjoying what would be their last night together._

_Will tried to forget it, but it kept coming back to haunt him._

_Dipper was clueless as ever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...  
> About the alternate endings?  
> There will be one super-sad one, and one that will continue on to the sequel.  
> Both will be very similar up until a certain point, so the "alt ending" will just be from a certain point in the final chapter onwards.  
> ANYWAY  
> If you enjoyed, lemme know! If you have a suggestion, idea, or any critique, ALSO lemme know!  
> Thanks for reading! <3  
> -Fly


	15. Unofficial Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS NOT THE OFFICIAL ENDING  
> THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY  
> -Fly

That was supposed to be it.

That was supposed to be the day.

He was going to infiltrate the Pines family's minds, and erase the memories of the past few weeks.

But... no.

He just...  _couldn't_.

 _One more day._ He told himself.

 _Promised_  himself.

But every night he'd visit Dipper, ready to fulfil his promise...

And he'd break that promise faster than the boy could even press his lips to his own.

A week passed.

He... had to.

Just had to.

Soon he was going to carry out his plan, and Dipper...

If he had to face Dipper when the boy still cared so deeply for him...

It would break the his already fragile heart.

 _One more day._ He swore on his immortal life he'd do it then.

And maybe, just maybe...

It'll be alright.

**-=[TIME SKIP]=-**

_Will was leaning over him, their kiss deepening and slowly getting more passionate. Dipper desperately gasped for air, but it was no use- The man literally took his breath away. Just when Dipper thought he'd be released-_

Dipper awoke to Mabel leaning over him. "Hey, doofus! Get up!" She was grinning ear to ear, sunlight bouncing of her shining braces.

"Whoa, why the wake up call?" He asked, shielding his eyes from the blinding light. "Bro bro. It's  _lunch!_ Did you actually sleep in that late?" He forced himself to sit up, and he wiped the sleep from his eyes. He glanced at the clock on the wall.

**1:00 PM**

"Oh my god! Seriously?" He laughed, knowing why he slept in so late. He'd fought himself to stay asleep, not wanting to leave Will again. Stan was getting more and more worried each day, and thus his work schedule got more strict, and far longer. Will was alone a lot- He could see the excitement in the man's eyes with every dream.

"Stan's been giving tours all day, and the gift shop doesn't have many customers at the moment. You're lucky he doesn't know you slept in so late or he'd kill you!" She poke him in the gut playfully, oblivious to his dream visits. "Well, you better get ready. A bus is due in ten minutes!" She ran downstairs, leaving him alone again.

Well, with the exception of Waddles. The pig oinked quietly, fast asleep.

"I wish I could sleep all day." He sulked, throwing his PJs off. He threw his shirt at the pig, startling him awake and down the stairs. "Does Mabel have some GPS installed into that thing?" His question was answered by the cheerful giggles of his sister. "That's probably a mystery better left unsolved."

**2:00 PM**

The bus had arrived- carrying a single old lady. Stan was still enthusiastic as ever-  _"Old people retire, right? They have a lot of cash, right?"_ \- But even she had just taken the wrong bus.

"Well, looks like a free evening, kids! How about we all head over to Greasy's and get some cake?" Mabel gasped, clapping her hands in excitement.

"Really?" He nodded, and she ran in circles.

"Smile dip?" Stan looked to Dipper.

"Nah. Just Mabel." He answered, and smiled to himself. "Hey, since when did you start taking us to Greasy's again? Or  _any_ place for that matter? Ever since the multiple house repairs we've just been eating cheap junk."

Stan groaned. "You just can't take a nice thing and let it be, can you? Geez, fine. Since when? Since you started spending every second of your free time at that creepy guy's place." The man shuddered at the thought, and pulled him to the door. "I'm not letting you outta my sight from now on."

Mabel hurled herself into the back seat, accompanied by Waddles and a spool of thread. "I'm knitting Stan some socks!" She explained, and Dipper nodded.

It was as close to explaining something as she'd ever get.

**3:00 PM**

When they arrived at Greasy's, it was packed. The line up was out the door, and there wasn't a parking spot in sight.

"What, did the whole town come here for lunch?" Stan fumed, eventually parking on the road. Dipper didn't dare to mention the "NO PARKING" sign right beside them.

Mabel scooped up Waddles and her yarn, yanking the door open. "Let's go!"

The four of them walked up to the diner, planning how to get in as if strategizing a battle plan. "Alright, kids, here's the deal. Mabel sacrifices her pig, bribes Lazy Susan with free bacon, and-" Mabel kicked him lightly. "Fine. Plan B."

Before he could start, Will emerged from the inside. Dipper's heart leaped. "Hey, Pine-" He noticed the figures beside the boy, and stopped himself. "Dipper! Come on, bring your family! Susan says you can skip the line!"

Stan growled, and the twins couldn't tell if it was his voice of his stomach. "WE ARE NOT EATING WITH YOU, YA YELLOW PIECE OF SHIT! COME OVER HERE!" Dipper was mortified.

"Stan no. Why." He whispered, and he couldn't believe his ears.

"HOW ABOUT YOU COME OVER HERE THEN, YOU OLD HAG!" Will yelled back, but his tone was far more playful. "SCARED TO GET BEAT UP IN FRONT OF YOUR-" He looked dramaticallt both ways before continuing. "GIRLFRIEND?" He finished, obviously referring to Lazy Susan.

Stan was at the door in five seconds flat, Mabel, Dipper and Waddles in tow.

**4:00 PM**

Will was knocked to the ground before he even had the chance to run.

"Whoa there , I don't want trouble." He assured, dodging a punch to the face.

"Well then you messed with the WRONG KID!" Stan landed a punch on his chin, and the younger man cried out in pain. "YOU WANT MORE?"

Will was holding back laughter. "Yes, please!~" He responded, earning a hushed threat and a rude gesture involving a finger.

Stan got up and dusted off his hands. "C'mon kids. We're leaving." He turned around, but Dipper was on the ground. "Kids?" Mabel was there too. Even Waddles was licking the blood off the man's beaten face. "DIPPER! MABEL! LET'S GO!" He yelled, but only Waddles came. He stared up at the man, cuter than ever.

Dipper was freaking out. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..." He chanted, holding Will's hand in his own.

"Don't worry kid... Heh-Ouch. It's just blood." The man assured, slowly getting up. "Oh, OUCH. The after pain isn't NEARLY as pleasant." The boy forced a smile, but felt his heart drop out of his chest when he caught Stan's eye.

"Okay." The senior said, scowling. "Let's just get some goddamn cake, and talk this out."

**5:00 PM**

They left out any kissing that may have happened.

They left out any hugging or cuddling that may have happened.

They left out the insanity, and the voices...

And the dreams.

In other words... Most of the story was made up.

But Stan believed it, and he was a master of deceit. That was good enough.

"So you two AREN'T dating?" Stan asked once more, earning a (fake) disgusted "NO!" from the both of them. "Good." He said ominously, slowly chewing his cake.

Will forced a thought into the boy's head, hoping his mind was clear enough to hear it.

_"Tell the old man to thank me. You know, you guys would've been kicked out if it wasn't for my friendship status with Ms. Amazing-Cook over there."_

Dipper saw Will casually jerk his head towards Lazy Susan, and nodded. "Y'know, Stan, you should really thank Will." He saw that said man was now holding back a laugh. Stan's face was shocked.

"And why-" He said, standing up. He was a lot more intimidating when he had towering over you. "Would I  _ever_ do that?"

The boy smirked, false confidence punctuating every word. "Because if it weren't for him, we'd be kicked out. Not to mention you little  _girlfriend_ would dump you."

Stan rolled his eyes, sitting back down. "Now THAT would've been a pleasure." Will finally burst into laughter, the twins following suit. "Hey, William?"

"Mhmm?"

"Thanks." Stan said, sounding genuinely thankful.

**6:00 PM**

Stan decided he'd let Will tag along- He had a strange vibe to him that fit right in with their family, and he filled a hole that they never knew existed.

They drove back to the shack, Will and Stan bouncing jokes off each other the whole ride. It was heaven compared to the usual banter Stan would try to start, or the yelled curses at other drivers. Not to mention some of the radio stations their grunkle put on- They were awful, and there truly was no nicer way to describe them.

"Well, after almost three hours at Greasy's, I am happy to say..." Mable started, excitement bubbling up inside of her. They pulled into the driveway, and she almost exploded. "WELCOME TO THE MYSTERY SHACK!"

Stan screamed and covered his ears, letting go of the wheel. The car swerved slightly, and Dipper could've swore he saw a blue glow around the wheel- if only for a second. The car stopped right in front of a tree, and they all let out a sigh of relief.

"We put the fun in no refunds!" Stan added, getting out of the car.

As soon as they were in the shack, chaos struck.

Or, to be more specific...  _Will_ struck.

"What's this?"

"It that REAL?"

"That looks AWESOME!"

And of course, Stan retaliated...

"That's not for sale, that's what it is."

"OF COURSE IT'S REAL! Wait, Dipper, did you tell him about..."

"PUT THAT DOWN YOU WALKING CORN COB!"

It took a good twenty minutes for them to finally settle in the living room and watch a movie.

Will suggested Claymation, which earned a harsh jab in the side from Dipper.

"What? I can read minds, remember?"

The boy sighed. "You say that like it'd be easy to forget."

**7:00 PM**

"Hey Dipper, pass the popcorn?"

"Will has it, Mabel. There's no getting it back now."

"Wiiiiilllllllll!"

"Here you go, Shooti-Mabel!"

"Will why are there only seeds left- WILL DID YOU EAT IT ALL!?"

"How come you give it to Mabel, but you refuse to give it to me?"

_"Because you refuse to let me feed it to you!"_

"WIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLL!"

Stan stood up abruptly, pausing the movie. He walked over to Mabel, snatched the popcorn bowl out of her hands, and walked to the kitchen. He walked back out with a refilled bowl. He dropped it back into Mabel's waiting hands, sat down, and pressed play.

 _"That man is a mortal GOD, Dipper. Even I can't calm that girl down."_ Will whispered, snickering as Stan shot him a look that screamed "shut up".

The movie was bad.  _Really_ bad. The plot, if you can call it that, revolved around a man in his fifties chasing his dream of becoming a circus clown. It was as stupid as it sounded.

**8:00 PM**

"I mean, considering he's a clown, I guess we shouldn't be surprised at how silly that was." Will reasoned, playing with Dipper's hair. He'd started a ways through the movie, and he only stopped when he felt Stan would turn around.

It reminded them of the dream they'd shared a week ago.

Oh, right! Dreams. He couldn't wait to sleep again. Although seeing the man in person was always his preference, he was excited to be able to get romantic with him again. With his grunkle and Mabel always watching them, (which is quite ironic, by the way) they couldn't really say the things the wanted to say so desperately.

"Well, I'm going to bed." Stan announced, lazily trudging upstairs.

 _"Ask."_ Will harshly shoved the thought into his mind, interrupting his daydreaming of the dreams they'd have tonight. The demon must've read a few of those thoughts too, because his face flushed a bright pink before he covered it with his top hat.

"Hey, Stan?" Dipper called after him.

"Hmph?" The senior grumbled, stopping on the spot. "Whaddya need?"

With a deep breath, he went for it. "Could-" Will nodded encouragingly. "Could Will stay over tonight?"

A low  _"I don't see why not"_ was shot back at him, and the two boys grinned at each other in excitement. Will took the boy's hand, and just as he was about to pull him into a hug Mabel piped up.

"Aw, how come you guys get to have a sleep over?" She whined loudly, but stopped when she saw their hands. "Oh-ho-ho... You little LIAR Dipper!" She fell over laughing, and Dipper prayed Stan couldn't hear any of this.

He tried to release Will's hand, but the man kept a firm grip on it. "Okay. So I'm not over him, and so we're..." he gulped, but Will just smiled charmingly at him. "So we're together." He said hurriedly.

"So what." He finished, but his heart said much different.

"So what _ever._ " Will smirked at him.

"I-You... I'll sleep down here." Mabel assured, winking at Dipper. He mouthed a "thanks" before he was hastily pulled upstairs.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _

_**HERE IS WHERE THE ALTERNATE ENDING PART STARTS. THIS IS THE SAD ENDING, SO STAY TUNED FOR THE "REAL" ENDING IN A FEW DAYS (IF IT'S NOT ALREADY POSTED!)** _

_**THE "REAL" ENDING WILL JUST BE FROM 9:00 ONWARDS, SO EVERYTHING BEFORE THIS EXISTS IN BOTH ENDINGS.** _

_**-END AUTHOR'S NOTES-** _

**9:00 PM**

Will had insisted they slept in the same bed.

"Wh-what if Stan sees?"

"Then we'll let him see."

"What if- What if Mabel-"

"Then Mabel will see. Come  _on_ , Dipper, as if you don't already know what's happening." The boy sucked in a breath.

 _"You're leaving, aren't you."_  He whispered shakily, the reality of the situation digging into his soul.

"Shh. Let's get you into bed." Will replied, shoving his softly onto the mattress. Dipper cried quietly as the man climbed on with him, hands digging into his hair. His chocked sobs were silenced when Will resumed the kiss they hadn't finished last night.

"Please, don't leave." The boy whispered, but his pleads were only answered by the hungry kisses of the demon.

"Please." No response.

"Please, please,  _please..._ " His begging was ignored, and eventually he fell asleep in the other's arms.

**10:00 PM**

_"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please..." His constant pleading echoed throughout the room, gradually getting louder despite the kisses he was receiving._

**11:00 PM**

_"Dipper, I'm sorry, okay?" Will snapped, his own eyes wet with tears. "I can't stop what I've started. I just can't, and there's nothing either of us can do about it." With that, the man broke free from the boy's grasp._

**12:00 AM**

_"No, no no NO! Wait-"_

_With a flick of his wrist, the boy woke up, and any memories of "William" were lost to the void._

**1:00 AM**

Dipper laid in bed, his face soaked with tears. He didn't know why, he didn't know how.

And he didn't know what had happened last night.

A heavy feeling of loneliness settled over him, but he didn't know whom he missed.

Now he know how his sister must've felt. Alone, scared, heart aching for someone...

He was hugging the blankets, desperate for comfort. A hole had formed in his heart... And he didn't know why it was there. He couldn't recall.

**-=[TIME SKIP]=-**

**8:00 AM**

Mabel and Stan both had similar feelings. Mabel was sleeping on the couch, which explained the lack of snoring last night, and Stan was just as confused as he. Nobody felt as depressed as him, however- Whatever had happened must've been mostly his fault. He'd been the most attached to whatever went missing.

There was no way of telling when or  _if_  that loneliness would ever dissipate.

Dipper had never felt so lost.

He'd lose himself in a book.

In the forest just outside the Shack-

But none of that compared to the emotions that made his whole body shake.

He knew there was only one way they'd all forget the same thing.

Only one creature that could- and  _would_ ever do such a thing.

And he prayed that his plan would work.

Tears rolled down the boy's cheek. "Stan?" He started, his voice cracked and broken as his heart. "Didn't you say you had a gun?"

The man stared at him with wide eyes. "Why?" Dipper shrugged, though it wasn't an easy thing to make sound casual. "In the broom closet, in case of ladder emergencies."

When the boy ran away, Stan realized why he'd asked. "DIPPER!"

The boy ran as fast as his legs could carry him, knowing there could only be one reason why they'd forgotten.

Mabel noticed it too. "DIPPER, WAIT!"

**9:00 AM**

Will was watching the boy.

_Waiting._

Praying he'd move on, forget the feelings that consumed his soul.

_But then._

_"No. No, no, Dipper..."_ The boy was running for the broom closet, family hot on his trail.

 _"No... DIPPER!"_ His human body was still recharging. He couldn't get to him. There was no way.

 _"DIPPER! STOP!"_ He was right beside the kid now, but he couldn't see the demon. The mindscape limited his contact- And Dipper wasn't tired enough to fall asleep.

He raised the gun. Stan and Mabel rounded the corner, intent on stopping him.

Will pushed a thought into the boy's mind, desperate and terrified.  _"DIPPER! CAN YOU HEAR ME? ARE YOU LISTENI-"_

**Boom.**

His body fell to the ground like a ragdoll.

**Fall.**

The demon would've made a joke about Pine Trees and... Well, _Pine Tree_ , but...

It was different now. He was just as distressed as the family.

**Crash.**

Mabel ran over to him, her screams echoing through the hall.

**Cry.**

Stan joined her, telling her he was going to call an ambulance.

**Call.**

The didn't get there in time. Even if they did, you can't heal a bullet to the head.

**Gone.**

**2:00 PM**

Mabel didn't calm down- how could she? Her best friend, brother, twin... Her favourite person in the world was... Gone.

And unlike last time, he wasn't coming back.

She knew as well as he did that the only being that could erase memories was Bill. She knew, and she loathed the demon more than ever.

Whatever he'd erased was something big, something Dipper was willing to die to know.

Little did the boy know that the mindscape didn't connect to the land of the dead- He would never find out, and that's what angered Mabel the most.

"What're we gonna tell Mom and Dad?" She said sombrely. Stan was sitting at the kitchen table, head in his hands.

"I don't know, Mabel." He responded. "I don't know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY OH GOD  
> OKAY THE REAL ENDING WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW  
> I LOVE YOU GUYS  
> -Fly


	16. Forget (Official Ending)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Enjoy the last chapter!  
> AGAIN, I WARN YOU; IF YOU WANT TO SEE PART TWO OF THIS SERIES, CHECK BACK TOMORROW ON MY PROFILE.  
> It should be called "A Pinch Of Spice"- you know, because...  
> REASONS.  
> Also, PLEASE don't forget to at LEAST read up to 9:00 PM on the fake ending chapter. Past 9:00 PM, it changes.  
> Anyway, I do hope you like it!  
> Toodles! ;D  
> -Fly

**9:00 PM**

Will had insisted they slept in the same bed.

Dipper didn't have the energy to object.

The two climbed under the covers, immediately setting into. The boy cuddled up against the demon, and he knew that he'd be having another long dream.

He would, just... Not in the way he'd originally thought.

**10:00 PM**

"Your hair smells good." Will muttered, sleepiness weaved through his voice. "Like pine needles, interestingly. Didja take a hike when I wasn't looking?" Even though the darkness consumed them, Dipper could tell he was smirking. "Oh, who am I kidding. I  _always_ have an eye on you. On everyone, I guess... You're just my favorite."

The boy tried to ignore the fluffy comments, cuddling up against the man to shield his ears from any more of it. "Will, go to sleep."

"I'm just waiting for you, Dip." He said happily, an uncomfortable silence settling over them. "Oh, wait... Oh second thought, let's stay awake a little longer." Dipper felt the man's nimble fingers searching for him, searching for his face. Just as the boy opened his mouth to speak, his chin was firmly pressed forward into a hungry kiss.

Will finally let him go, leaving them both gasping for air. "Why... Can't... Why can't we just sleep... Now?" Dipper stuttered, face now hot with passion. "Besides, I'm tired as is."

An eerie wind blew through the open window, making them cuddle even closer together.

"Yeah. Sure." The demon agreed, but his uncertainty was clear as day. Something told the boy he'd find out very soon what was really going on- Perhaps sooner than he wanted.

Than either of them wanted.

Despite the uncomfortable thoughts eating away at his mind, they both fell into a deep slumber.

**11:00 PM**

_Dipper had dreamed up a sunny hill, a picnic basket stuffed with sandwiches and apple pie._

_"Dipper, before I go, there's something you should know-" Will's eyes glistened, but it was impossible to tell if there were tears or just the golden sun's haunting reflection._

_"Before you go? Why are you leaving?" They boy's eyes widened to the size of gold balls. "Wait- You're Bill fucking_ _ Cipher _ _. WHY am I asking this." He shook his head, slightly hurt. "I get it. Go do your demon stuff, okay? See you tomorrow, I guess."_

_The worst part was... That simply wasn't the case._

_"No, Dipper-"_

_"Dude, I'm not mad." A mischevious grin creeped across his face. "You're not called a 'dream' demon simply because you happen to be the guy of my dreams." The smile faded, replaced by an embarassed frown. "Oh my god, that was the cheesiest thing I've ever said."_

_Will wanted to tell him otherwise- He wanted to stroke his cheek, to give him a hug, to tell him he'd said worse. To tell him that cheesy was perfect, and everything he'd ever said was no less. He wanted to tell him he felt the same, that he shouldn't be so afraid to have a little fun-_

_He wanted- No, NEEDED to let all of that out._

_But he just..._

_Couldn't._

_"Remember, Dipper." Will whispered, reaching his hand out towards the boy's forehead._

_"All good things must come to an end."_

_The worst part was that Dipper wouldn't remember any of that._

**12:00 AM**

"Oh my god." Dipper shot upright, sweat rolling down his face. The shape of a body was outlined by the sheets beside him, but there was nobody else there.

"Oh my  _god_..." He repeated, tears swelling up in his eyes. A hole had formed inside of him- Not physically, but mentally. It was as if someone had just plucked a button off a dress, and the whole thing popped open.

"Oh my GOD!" He screamed, and Mabel raced into the room.

"DIPPERDIPPERDIPPERDIPPER HELPHELPHELP!" She joined in on his confused yelling, and Stan barged in in an instant.

"Kids, what did you do?" He demanded, rubbing his forehead. "I told you one, I told you a hundred times! Don't go messing around with the supernatural." He stared at Dipper specifically. "Now, tell me what memories you erased."

The boy's heart skipped a beat. "Wait... Our memories were erased?" He felt his forehead. It was sore and pulsing, as if attempting to heal a wound. "Oh my god oh my god oh my-"

He was cut off by a loud sob. He looked to his sister, who's face remained dry. Stan was (unsurprisingly) still angry. No tears on him. It was only then he realized they were his own.

"Mabel, why weren't you sleeping in here?" Dipper asked, attempting to hide his emptiness.

"I don't know, okay?" Mabel drawled, stress taking over both her body and tone.

Sadness, stress and fury.

Not exactly the best mix.

Stan rubbed his chin in thought. "Last thing I can remember clearly was Dipper leaving to get sugar-"

"-And I did. Nothing weird, right? I went there, and got back with the sugar, okay? So quit pinning all this on me!" Dipper interrupted.

**1:00 AM**

Their bickering annoyed the demon.

He knew what he had to do-

Dipper would be fine until then. He would keep a close eye on him, as if he hadn't been already.

_"Six years, Pine Tree."_ The triangle groaned.

_"Six years to not end that miniscule life of yours."_ If he had a mouth in his true form, he would've smiled.

_"Six years to charge this fleshbag body up- and a lot more years to live with your memories restored!"_ Bill was estatic.

_"And believe me- We'll have a great time... Dipper."_ He scowled. It flowed more nicely off a human tongue.

_"Good luck."_  He wished, and took one last glance at the letter he'd written.

_"Six years."_ He echoed, and the paper vanished.  _"Six more years."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "HMM. I WONDER HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE PART TWO WILL TAKE PLACE IN."  
> HMM. (sarcastic Fly is sarcastic)  
> So... 18 year old Dipper, to sum it up! Won't change much, but...  
> IT'S ADULT DIPPER.  
> COME ON.  
> Hopefully you enjoyed! Obviously, this finale is the fluffy one.  
> The fake ending was...  
> Depressing, at least... Heartbreaking at most.  
> ANYWHO  
> See you guys tomorrow! :D (hopefully!)  
> -Fly <3

**Author's Note:**

> Didja like?  
> If so, lemme know!  
> I'll post a new chapter every day, or more!  
> Thanks!  
> -Fly


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